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Preds’ Boychuk on waivers for third time this season

ZachBoychuk

Today might’ve well been Groundhog Day, with Zack Boychuk playing the role of Bill Murray.

That’s because Boychuk was waived by the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, marking the third time this season he’s been placed on the waiver wire.

Boychuk, 23, started the year with Carolina before being placed on waivers, where he was scooped up by Pittsburgh.

The former WHL Lethbridge sniper spent about a month with the Penguins before he was waived for a second time, this time claimed by the offensively-starved Predators on Mar. 5.

Boychuk got off to a decent start with the Preds, scoring in his debut and chipping in with an assist two games later against Vancouver.

But it recently became apparent he wasn’t going to stick at the NHL level.

Last night, following a 4-3 loss to Columbus, head coach Barry Trotz cryptically alluded to “some guys [that] quite clearly can’t play at this level,” when speaking about his team.

Today, Trotz made it clear he was talking about Boychuk.

“I think Zach has a lot of ability, but we really just didn’t see enough bite in his game to go further right now,” Trotz explained. “He is a project, but I think in time he could play in the league if he makes some of the right adjustments in his game.”

Boychuk would clear waivers tomorrow if he’s not picked up by another team, at which point he’d be off to Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.