round of the 2007 playoffs, where they were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks in five games. During his second season with Vancouver, he missed ten games with a fractured vertebra. The injury was sustained on December 31, 2007, in a loss to the Calgary Flames, while trying to dodge a check. However, Mitchell continued to play with the injury for nine games afterwards. He recorded two goals and 12 points, while leading the team with 108 blocked shots and 1,646:20 minutes in total ice time. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he was awarded his first Babe Pratt Trophy as the Canucks' top defenceman. With the departure of long-time Canucks captain Markus Näslund to free agency in the 2008 off-season, Mitchell was considered a leading candidate for captaincy. The Canucks instead appointed team MVP Roberto Luongo as the first goaltender to be a captain since 1947–48 on September 30, 2008. Mitchell was named alternate captain along with forward Ryan Kesler and defenceman Mattias Öhlund. Due to Luongo's limitations as a goaltender, Mitchell was designated the captain's traditional role of disputing calls by the officials and relaying messages to the coach. During the subsequent 2008–09 season, Mitchell recorded career-highs with three goals, 20 assists, 23 points and a team-best +29 rating, earning his second consecutive Babe Pratt Trophy. He added two assists and led all Canucks in average ice time at 24:12 minutes per game in the post-season. He helped the Canucks advance to the second round, where they were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Early on in the 2009–10 season, Mitchell delivered an open-ice hit that concussed Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews in the two teams' first game against each other since the 2009 playoffs. Mitchell had just exited the penalty box when he caught Toews with his head down receiving a pass in the neutral zone; the hit was deemed legal as Mitchell checked Toews with his shoulder. Toews was sidelined for six games as a result. Later on in the season, Mitchell suffered a concussion himself, receiving a hit from opposing forward Evgeni Malkin, causing his head to hit the end boards, during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 16. He was sidelined for the remainder of the season with post-concussion syndrome, finishing with 12 points and a +13 rating in 48 games. Unsure if the injury had ended his career, Mitchell later