Brock Boeser of the Canucks is out with a blood clotting issue.
According to freelance reporter Irfaan Gaffar, the Canucks’ top-six winger Brock Boeser won’t be available for Monday’s Game 7 against the Oilers. Boeser is sidelined by a non-life-threatening blood clotting condition, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. If Vancouver progresses to the Western Conference Final, Boeser may lose additional time.
For Boeser and Vancouver, the timing of this news couldn’t be worse as they prepare for Monday night’s seventh and final game of their series against Edmonton. With seven goals and five assists in 12 games in playoffs, the 27-year-old has emerged as one of Vancouver’s main threats. He plays more than 20 minutes a night on their top line, leads the team in playoff goals, and is tied with J.T. Miller for the most points (12). Following his greatest regular season, in which he achieved career highs in goals (40) and points (73), those stats are impressive.
Ilya Mikheyev, who has missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, Sam Lafferty, who has been sidelined the past two games following a difficult playoff start, and Linus Karlsson, who was one of their Black Ace recalls earlier this month and has played in two games so far, are some of the candidates to replace Boeser. While it would be hazardous to give a young player his NHL debut in an elimination game, head coach Rick Tocchet hinted earlier this week that he would feel safe utilizing top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki as well.
Tocchet will have to rearrange his lineup in an attempt to win without one of their best forwards because none of those players can take over for Boeser in the role that he played.