The Canucks will be starting their season in October with at least one player on the injured reserve.
Pavol Demitra will miss at least six more weeks after undergoing shoulder surgery at the end of last season.
"The shoulder is not quite strong enough yet," Demitra said yesterday at UBC, where he skated by himself in the morning.
"I started skating the last two weeks back home in Slovakia and day by day it's getting better."
The 34-year-old forward, who will make $4 million this season, had to get his left shoulder fixed after tearing both his front and back rotator cuff. He added the doctors found some chips in the bone.
"It's tough but I'm glad they fixed it, and hopefully my shoulder gets stronger and gets ready for our season," he said, noting that he can only take wrist shots right now.
"I was shooting like 75 per cent, but it's feeling fine to be on the ice."
Meanwhile, Roberto Luongo also took to the ice yesterday with goaltending coach Ian Clark prior to the prospects camp at UBC.
He didn't join the rest of the Canucks, who were skating at an adjacent UBC rink, saying, "Usually shinny hockey is more for developing bad habits than anything else."
"It's tough but I'm glad they fixed it, and hopefully my shoulder gets stronger and get ready for our season."
