RALEIGH - Zach Boychuk survived the Carolina Hurricanes' conditioning camp last week, saying, "It seems we ran every step in the RBC Center, top to bottom, and several times."

Boychuk's NHL plans took a step in the wrong direction Tuesday when he had surgery to repair a broken bone in his left wrist, one the Canes hoped would heal on its own when they took him with the 14th overall pick in June.

The 19-year-old center will miss three months of action, including the Hurricanes' training camp in September, but that doesn't change his position as one of Carolina's top prospects going forward.

"We brought him here to our doctors, and they examined it and said it would be better to have [the surgery] now, which we totally agree with," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He'll miss our training camp, but he won't miss the season. Certainly, it doesn't hurt his pro career."

Even before the injury, it was almost certain Boychuk would end up back with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League, getting more seasoning. Now there's no doubt. So while last year's No. 1 pick, Brandon Sutter, tries to crack Carolina's roster this fall, Boychuk will prepare to do the same next year.

"I like to set my goals high," Boychuk said. "I want to play in the NHL as soon as possible."

Listed at 5 feet 10 but perhaps an inch or so shorter, Boychuk has never been the biggest guy on the ice. His is more a speed game, using his quickness and skating ability to get to the net.

"He's really skilled and smart," said Sutter, who first played against Boychuk when he was 10. "He's very offensive and can score goals, and he's a good playmaker.

"I think he's a good fit. He's going to make a good pro."

The wrist injury didn't stop Boychuk during the conditioning camp, where he made a positive impression on the Carolina front office.

Ron Francis, the Canes' assistant general manager and director of player development, said he did not personally scout Boychuk but was impressed with Boychuk's work and intensity, on and off the ice.

"I think you always like to see a young guy come in and be in good shape, and he certainly fits that mold," Francis said. "He's extremely well-conditioned and tested well on a lot of the stuff.

"The scouting report was he has really good hands and is very quick, and certainly I think he's lived up to those expectations. He has great hands and has some real quickness to his game, which is good."

Boychuk helped lead Lethbridge to the WHL's Eastern Conference title this year, scoring a playoff-high 11 goals. He also competed for Team Canada, which won the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic.

Boychuk wasn't a star for Team Canada -- Sutter, for one, played a bigger part in claiming the gold medal -- but he called it an invaluable experience.

"It was huge for me," he said. "What I learned is that everyone has a role. I played the role as best I could. That's kind of why we won -- we had 22 guys who all played a role. That's what winning teams need to win."

And what the Hurricanes will expect from Boychuk -- one day.

"I think you have to be cautiously excited about these kids," Francis said. "You've got to be careful you don't rush them and put them in situations where they're in a little bit over their head and you affect their air of confidence in going forward.

"We'll just take it one day at a time with him and see how he progresses, but he's certainly showing good signs of being able to play at the next level."

(Staff writer Luke DeCock contributed to this report.)