Canucks’ Boeser out vs Capitals due to personal reasons; Lekkerimäki slots in

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who has been a healthy scratch the past two games, will draw into the line-up in Boeser’s absence. Thatcher Demko gets his fourth start of the season in goal. Those are the only line-up changes for the Canucks for the third stop on their five game road trip.

Boeser scored the shootout winner in Chicago on Friday night and is off to a fast start this season with three goals in his first four games. He is tied with Filip Chytil for the team lead in goal scoring and is just one off the team lead in overall scoring. Boeser is also second among Canucks forwards in average ice time in the early going this season logging 19:37 per game. That is behind only Conor Garland (19:49).

The loss of Boeser will hurt the Canucks on several fronts. He has one of the team’s three power play goals on the season. He has also taken on penalty killing duties. And at 5-on-5, the Canucks could use Boeser’s scoring against a Washington team that has surrendered just three 5-on-5 goals so far this season.

With Boeser out and Lekkerimäki in, Aatu Räty is the extra forward on the roster. If Boeser remains out for any length of time, the Canucks may need to make a recall from Abbotsford with two games remaining on the road trip. The Canucks will move on from Washington to Pittsburgh for a game on Tuesday. The trip concludes on Thursday in Nashville.