As the Vancouver Canucks continue to battle an ongoing illness going around the locker room, the team finds themselves down two more players after announcing that forward Brock Boeser and defenceman Zeev Buium have been placed on the injured reserve. In place of them, forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki and defenceman Victor Mancini have been recalled ahead of Vancouver's game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Boeser and Buium both ended up on the receiving end of two head-shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, albeit from two different objects. Boeser received an elbow to the head from Penguins forward Bryan Rust, leaving him slow to get up after. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update on Boeser's condition after the game.
On the other hand, Buium left the game midway through the first period after being nailed in the face by a shot taken from the Penguins. The defenceman later returned to the game wearing a full face shield and sporting a shiner on his eye.
Returning to the NHL in place of Boeser and Buium are Lekkerimäki and Mancini, both of whom have spent the past little bit in the AHL. Lekkerimäki has been on a tear with Abbotsford, averaging a point per game throughout 16 AHL games, and will likely be expected to produce in Vancouver's top-six.
The Canucks resume their current eight-game home stand with a match against the Sharks on Tuesday. This game could see the return of Kiefer Sherwood a little more than a week after he was traded by the Canucks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
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