The Vancouver Canucks are expected to be without their best winger for the remainder of the regular season and po sibly the postseason; however, Brock Boeser has returned to the ice as a full participant in morning skates. It was a key step as general manager Jim Benning originally announced back in February that Boeser's rib cartilage fracture wouldkeep him out of the lineupfor at least eight weeks. Injury Update from GM Jim Benning: Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) Boeser has been sidelined since sustaining the injury in the Feb. 8 lo s to the Calgary Flames. To help ease the absence of Boeser, the Canucks acquiredTyler Toffoli from the Los Angeles Kings before the trade deadline. Still, the Canucks who have lost five of their last six games since the deadlinemi s his presence in the lineup as he wastied for fourth in points (45) on the team when injured. TRADE GRADE: Toffoli comes with hefty price How long will Brock Boeser be out? Benning initially said on theevening of Feb. 10 thatBoeser wouldbe re-evaluated in three weeks; however, his status was updated le s than 24 hours later when the Canucks GM announced he will mi s at least eight weeks. It looks like its going to be more severe than what we originally thought, , adding Connor Tate Jersey that he won't need surgery and is seeing a specialist. , rib cartilage fractures are fractures in the cartilage that connect the ribs to the sternum or breast bone. It usually occurs when there is blunt force trauma, in this case, a check, or fall landing directly on the chest. Brock Boeser injury timeline Boeser left the game Feb. 8 against the Calgary Flames with two minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the third period. On Feb. 9, head coach Travis Green said he and then be re-evaluated. General manager Jim Benning released an update on Monday, Feb. 17 saying he suffered a rib cartilage fracture and will be re-evaluated in three weeks. The next morning, he announced the winger would mi s at least eight weeks, which includes the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season. March 8 UPDATE: Despite Benning's estimated timeline of eight weeks, Boeser returned to Canucks practice on Sunday, just one month after his injury. He was pictured taking part in the team's morning skate. Boeser taking part in morning skate. Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) It's unexpected news given that Boeser had previously been ruled out for the rest of the regular season and po sibly the postseason. He reportedly won't play in Vancouver's game against Columbus on Sunday night, but he was wearing a full-contact jersey in practiceand didn't appear limited, so his return could come within a matter of games. Its always exciting to skate with the guys," Boeser said via the team's Twitter. "It feels good to be out there. I felt pretty good out there so hopefully Ill be back soon. The Canucks haven't provided an update on his status since Benning's announcement in mid-February. March 10 UPDATE: Boeser will be back for Vancouver in Tuesday night's game against the Islanders. The team made the announcement on Twitter earlier in the day. "I'm in tonight." - Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) It's been a remarkably quick recovery for Boeser, who is returning almost a month ahead of schedule. His return will be a huge boost for the Canucks, who have been slipping down the standings in the Western Conference. It remains to be seen whether the forward will be limited in any way during tonight's game. Jaden Harris Jersey