Pettersson returns from 6-game absence, Demko starts in loss to Canes

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson slotted back into the lineup for Friday night's 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

He was activated off injured reserve prior to the contest.

Thatcher Demko, meanwhile, returned between the pipes after sitting out three games with back spasms. He served as the backup during Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals.

Pettersson missed six games with an undisclosed injury. Vancouver went 1-2-3 in his absence. The Canucks were also without captain Quinn Hughes for four of those contests, but the star defenseman returned during Monday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

It is unclear how Pettersson got hurt, but he departed the Canucks' 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 23 after just one shift in the third period. He scored two goals in a 44-second span earlier in the contest.

Pettersson was given a one-week recovery timeline on Dec. 29.

The 26-year-old ranked sixth on Vancouver with 10 goals and fifth with 28 points in 34 games entering Friday's action.

Pettersson signed an eight-year extension with an $11.6-million cap hit in March, but his first season of the deal isn't going according to plan.

Reports emerged in December detailing a supposed rift between the Swede and teammate J.T. Miller, and both players' names have appeared in trade rumors.

Pettersson acknowledged Monday that he hadn't met the Canucks' expectations through the first half of the campaign.

Vancouver occupies the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with an 18-13-10 record.