Boudreau could make OEL a healthy scratch against Bolts

Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau admitted that Oliver Ekman-Larsson could be a healthy scratch for the team's Thursday night contest with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Asked about reports that the 31-year-old defenceman could sit against the defending Eastern Conference champions, Boudreau replied, "That's potentially true."

While he acknowledged the potential, Boudreau did not tip his hand.

"Look, we'll have to scratch a couple of players," Boudreau said. "I think [Ekman-Larsson] can be better, but I think there's a lot of guys that can be better. Now it's about accountability. It's about a lot of things, so it's something you don't want to do. He's arguably our best defenceman, but sometimes you have to do what you think is the best thing for the team right at that moment and that's apparently where I am."

A native of Karlskrona, Sweden, Ekman-Larsson is in his 13th NHL season and second with the Canucks. In 40 games this season, Ekman-Larsson has a goal and 17 assists and is averaging 20:28 of ice time a night and a Corsi For of 45.2

He is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $66 million deal signed with the Arizona Coyotes that has a full no-movement clause.

Losers of two straight, the Canucks sit 12th in the Western Conference on 37 points and trail the Edmonton Oilers by 10 points for the final wild-card spot with three games in hand.