Canes: Boychuk needs more seasoning

Zach Boychuk will have to wait another year.

Boychuk, the Carolina Hurricanes' first-round choice in the 2008 draft, was hoping to make the leap from junior hockey to the NHL. And while team management and Canes coach Peter Laviolette liked a lot of what they saw out of the forward, they decided another year of junior hockey would be best for him.

After watching Boychuk in games against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks over the weekend, the Canes decided Monday to send him back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League.

General manager Jim Rutherford called the two-game audition a "good experience" for Boychuk and said another year of junior hockey would "be good for his development."

Rutherford said no decision had been made on replacing Boychuk or on roster moves. The Canes play Thursday at Pittsburgh in the third of six straight road games.

Forward Tuomo Ruutu did not play in the two West Coast games because of an injury related to the groin pull he suffered during training camp. Ruutu may return to practice this week and could be back in the lineup for the Penguins game.

Scott Walker, who injured his left hand in a preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers, still is recovering from the surgery and will be out another month.

Boychuk, 19, had surgery on his left wrist in July and did not play in any of the Canes' preseason games.

He had another surgical procedure to remove a pin from the wrist -- he was injured during a WHL playoff game last spring -- and was not cleared for contact until a week ago.

Laviolette decided not to play Boychuk in the third period and overtime Friday in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

On Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, Boychuk had 14:45 of ice time, almost all at even strength, and finished plus-1 in the plus/minus rating.

"Despite the fact he was recovering from surgery, his play progressed very well," Rutherford said.

In Sunday's game, the Canes took an early 1-0 lead on Ryan Bayda's goal and led 2-1 after the second period on Rod Brind'Amour's goal with 1:12 left in the period.

Niclas Wallin tried to get off a slapshot but got a piece of the puck, which went lazily bouncing and bounding.

Brind'Amour calmly gathered it in to the right of the goal and beat Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere for a 2-1 lead.

"A lucky break, really," Brind'Amour said. "It bounced past the defensemen, and I knew I had time. Everything worked out. It was the only chance I had all game."

But with goaltender Michael Leighton making 32 saves in his second start of the season, moving well and seeing the puck well, the Canes won.

"Our goalie stood on his head," Brind'Amour said.

It all made for a more pleasant plane ride back to Raleigh, when the decision was made on Boychuk.