As the Hurricanes continue to deal with a sudden rash of injuries and illnesses, the call has gone out to Charlotte once again.
Zach Boychuk, the reigning AHL Player of the Month, is headed to Carolina to join the team for Thursday’s game against Dallas. According to reports from Raleigh, the Hurricanes’ Jiri Tlusty is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, while Alexander Semin and Drayson Bowman have taken ill and are questionable to play against the Stars.
Though Boychuk’s nine games played have been a hindrance to his ability to join the Hurricanes for much of the season’s second half (a 10th would require waivers for him to return to the AHL), the emergency situation created by a lack of available players in Carolina makes that a moot point for the time being. He would not require waivers to return to Charlotte regardless of if he plays against Dallas.
Boychuk’s recall leaves the Checkers without their top three scorers heading into a three-in-three weekend that starts Friday in San Antonio, though they could potentially get one or more back by then due to the seemingly short-term nature of what’s ailing Tlusty, Semin and Bowman. After 62 games, Boychuk leads the team and ranks tied for fourth in the AHL with 67 points – a new career high and a new single-season club record – while Chris Terry, recalled Tuesday and expected to play again Thursday, is right behind him with 66.
Aaron Palushaj, third on the team and 13th in the AHL with 57 points, is expected to miss Friday’s game in San Antonio as well as two crucial weekend games in Oklahoma City due to injury. The Checkers are currently eighth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the ninth-place Barons.
The Checkers are also short one forward (Boychuk was one of 12 available for Wednesday's practice), though they could fill their lineup by dressing seven defensemen rather than adding a player from the ECHL.
Boychuk’s 22 points in 16 March games, highlighted by his third career hat trick on March 2 and team-record five points on March 26, were the highest single-month total by any player in Checkers history. The team was 12-0-0 when he recorded at least one point during that time.
