After some concerns that Brock Boeser would miss Thursday’s game against the
Buffalo Sabres due to an issue with his appendix, it appears that he will be playing for the
Vancouver Canucks anyways, according to Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
CanucksArmy’s Jeff Paterson reported earlier on Thursday that Boeser woke up with some discomfort and was given the morning off. He received treatment from the team’s medical staff, and according to Canucks head coach Adam Foote, it was to make sure that it wasn’t an issue with his appendix. They were anticipating an update within the next couple hours, and as Friedman has now reported, Boeser will be good to go for the game.
Lukas Reichel was originally expected to be in the lineup if Boeser couldn’t play, but will continue to be a healthy scratch with Boeser able to play.
Boeser has already missed two games this season, both coming in succession in October due to personal reasons. He’s performed a bit below his usual pace with just nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in 28 games, which would give him just 45 points on the season. That would be tied for the lowest point total of his career since becoming a full-time NHLer.
Had Boeser been unable to play, it would have been another blow to a Canucks lineup that has been decimated with injuries. They’re currently missing Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil and Elias Pettersson up front, Derek Forbort and Pierre-Olivier Joseph on their blueline, and had been missing Thatcher Demko for 12 games until his return this week. Their injuries are particularly rough down the middle, forcing them to run a lineup of David Kampf, Drew O’Connor, Max Sasson and Aatu Raty at center.
The Canucks currently sit in last place in the league with a 11-16-3 record. They’ll look to snap a slump of five losses in six games when they host the Sabres at 7 p.m. PST.
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