As they emerge from the all-star break for the National Hockey League’s stretch run, the Vancouver Canucks are out of excuses.

That tough schedule we have heard so much about is suddenly favourable, with a long stretch of home games ahead of them. And their lengthy list of injuries have all healed.

In fact, when the Canucks host John Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, they could be a completely healthy team.

Captain Henrik Sedin, who missed four games before the all-star break, was at practice Tuesday and is expected to play Thursday. Defenceman Dan Hamhuis practised again Tuesday and pronounced himself fit. If he doesn’t play Thursday, it seems almost certain he will dress for Saturday’s home game against the Calgary Flames.

So general manager Jim Benning figures to get a good read on his team as it heads for the Feb. 29 trade deadline.

Will he be a seller or a buyer? Benning said that will be up to his players.

“For the first time, this week we could be healthy,” Benning told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “I am looking forward to seeing our whole group being healthy. I think we have a favourable schedule going forward where we have played a lot of road games already. I am hoping we can come out of this break and string together some games and compete for a playoff spot.”

The Canucks, currently below the Western Conference playoff board, play eight of 11 games this month at home. How they fare will in large part determine their playoff fortunes and how Benning handles the trade deadline.

He has tough decisions to make on pending unrestricted free agents such as Hamhuis and winger Radim Vrbata.

“Like I say, we are going to be healthy for the first time, so we want to see where we’re at in the standings and from there we’ll decide what we are going to do with our UFA’s at the trade deadline,” Benning said.

“If they (Hamhuis and Vrbata) are playing well and we’re competing for a playoff spot, then we want to give ourselves every opportunity to be a playoff team.”

Benning emphasized that making the playoffs remains the goal.

“I think to get your young players in playoff games, that is an experience that is invaluable,” he said. “For us, our goal is to make the playoffs and if we can get our young players games, I think that trumps everything.”

Hamhuis, who has been out since being struck by a shot in a Dec. 9 game, knows he will be under the microscope as the trade deadline approaches.

“My biggest focus right now is helping our team win and putting Jim Benning in a place where he can become a buyer and we can make a good run here in the playoffs,” Hamhuis said. “Our team has done pretty good this year and we have had some key injuries and now it looks like we are coming back healthy after the break. It would be good to go on a run and put ourselves in a good position for the playoffs and instead of thinking of trades and selling, looking at buying and building a team for the playoffs.”

If the Canucks do make a playoff run, they will do it without veteran winger Brandon Prust, who was put on waivers Tuesday.

Benning said he spent the past few days trying to trade Prust, but was unable to complete a deal. If Prust clears waivers, which seems likely, he will join fellow veteran Chris Higgins in Utica, N.Y., with the AHL’s Comets.

“There were some teams that were interested and maybe it will happen closer to the trade deadline,” Benning said. “Right now, we couldn’t move him so we put him on waivers.”

Benning acknowledged the move is another step in trying to make the team younger and faster.

“We want to give some kids a chance to play from now until the end of the year and develop going forward,” Benning said.

Prust had sat out the past three games as a healthy scratch as rookie Jake Virtanen replaced him on the Canucks’ fourth line.

bziemer@postmedia.com

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