The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Zach Boychuk on waivers Wednesday with the intent of assigning him to Charlotte, according to Canes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford.

Michael Smith

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Teams will have until noon on Thursday to claim the 23-year-old forward who has dressed in one game for the Hurricanes this season.

“It’s not like he’s a player we’ve given up on,” Rutherford said. “It’s just part of the development stage.”

Rutherford acknowledged the inherent risk in exposing the Airdrie, Alberta, native to waivers but said it’s simply important that Boychuk plays at this stage in his development. With the Canes, it has become a numbers issue on the depth chart.

“Boychuk’s not a fourth-line player,” Rutherford said.

Boychuk, despite being with the Hurricanes since Jan. 12, still leads the Checkers in scoring with 32 points (16g, 16a). Boychuk dressed for the Hurricanes’ season opener in Florida, recording 10:13 of ice time. He has been a healthy extra for the team’s last four games.

The Hurricanes recalled Andreas Nodl from Charlotte Wednesday morning. The forward joined the team for practice and could be in the lineup on Friday, according to head coach Kirk Muller. Nodl recorded a goal and three assists in five games with the Checkers.

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