LOS ANGELES -- Eight hours to game time and Zach Boychuk was feeling it. Anxious, excited, ready.

The Canes' first-round draft pick will make his NHL debut tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Coach Peter Laviolette said the 19-year-old forward probably would start on the line with Rod Brind'Amour and Sergei Samsonov, although there could be changes as the game goes on.

"I think I'm definitely a little bit nervous," Boychuk said today. "This is a completely different level and I haven't experienced it to the extent some of the other guys have, obviously."

LOS ANGELES -- The plan was for rookie forward Zach Boychuk to make his NHL debut Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, and to play on a line with Matt Cullen and Patrick Eaves.

That plan may have changed today when Tuomo Ruutu left the ice early in the Canes' workout  at the Toyota Center. Ruutu, who only skated for a few minutes, has been slowed by an injury that's related to the groin pull that kept him out of much of preseason training camp.

Ruutu said he hoped to get through practice but that there was too much soreness.

"Right now, he's day to day," Canes coach Peter Laviolette said after the workout at the Kings' practice rink. "He's probably doubtful (for the Kings' game.)"

Zach Boychuk, his left wrist fully healed, is getting closer and closer to getting into his first NHL game.

The rookie forward, the Canes' first-round draft pick, was medically cleared today to join contact work in practice. He hopes to play on the Canes' West Coast swing later in the week, either against the L.A. Kings or Anaheim Ducks.

"It was great to hear from the doctor today that everything has healed just perfectly," Boychuk said this morning after an on-ice workout at the RBC Center. "It's a new bill of health, like a brand new bone."

As expected, center Zach Boychuk did have a pin removed today from his surgically repaired left wrist.

The post-surgical procedure, performed Dr. George Edwards, will keep Boychuk out of contact work in practice for two weeks.

Boychuk, 18, was the team's first-round draft choice this year. He had wrist surgery in July after the Canes' prospects camp.

Forward Zach Boychuk is scheduled to have the surgery Tuesday to remove a pin from his left wrist that was inserted during surgery in July. That means two weeks of very limited work for the team's first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2008 NHL draft.

Boychuk has been impressive in practice and the team is talking contract with him and his agent. No one in management will talk about the terms, but word has it the contract could match the one given Brandon Sutter, the Canes' No. 1 pick in 2007 (11th overall). 

Another game, another injury. Canes coach Peter Laviolette said this morning that defenseman Tim Conboy may miss up to two weeks after being injured in Saturday's preseason game at Philadelphia.

Conboy went crashing into the boards early in the game and was helped from the ice with an apparent shoulder injury. But Laviolette said it was a "torso injury" and not the shoulder.

(UPDATE: Conboy said he tore some cartilage under his rib cage but hoped to be back in a week or so). 

Here's some good news for the Canes: Zach Boychuk is able to practice.

The Canes' first-round draft choice had wrist surgery in mid-July, with an expected three-month recovery period. The forward was invited to training camp so that he could be around the veterans and get in some conditioning. Look, listen, pick up some things.

But the wrist has healed quicker than expected. Boychuk was
medically cleared this morning and put in a full practice session at the RBC Center, skating, shooting the puck.

"I wasn't expecting to even be stick-handling until the beginning of October, so this is definitely a couple of weeks in advance, which is nice," Boychuk said after the practice. "I found out that the bone is pretty much fully healed. I won't be playing full contact for two weeks but I'll be able to go out there and stick-handle and work on my shot."

No Zac, but there will be Zach.

Zach Boychuk, the Canes' first-round draft pick, will be at the team's training camp next month, albeit in a limited role. Boychuk underwent surgery a month ago to repair a broken bone in his left wrist, but Canes' general manager Jim Rutherford said the 19-year-old center is "ahead of schedule" in his rehabilitation.

"It's good timing that we caught [the injury] when we caught it," Rutherford said. "He'll be able to come to camp and it should be a great experience for him.

Only the Buffalo Sabres (five) had more players at Canada's junior evaluation camp this week than the Hurricanes (three).

Brandon Sutter, Chris Terry and Zach Boychuk all attended the four-day camp in Ottawa, although Boychuk was unable to participate in the on-ice activites because of his recent wrist surgery.

UPDATE, 1:40 p.m.: The Canes are in negotiations with Drayson Bowman, who will attend Team USA's camp next week, on an entry-level contract.

Zach Boychuk said after the draft that the left wrist injury that knocked him out of the WHL playoffs was healing nicely and expected no further problems, but the Canes' first-round draft pick had surgery to repair the break Tuesday and will miss the next three months.