Boucher, said to have the potential to be pure goal scorer, was claimed from the New Jersey Devils.

While many in Vancouver were waiting this morning to see if Vancouver would claim Ty Rattie off Waivers, the Canucks claimed the other guy, Reid Boucher, a 23 year old LW.

According to John Shannon, Jim Benning likes Boucher’s shot and his drive:

Boucher hails from Lansing, Michigan. In 2012-13 he broke Steven Stamkos’ OHL goal scoring record, along the way potting five hat-tricks that season for the Sarnia Sting.

Hockey’s Future suggests Boucher has a knack for scoring, but needs to work on his defensive play and his skating:

Boucher has shown he is quite the capable scorer. His best asset remains his lightning-quick, accurate shot. He demonstrated his quick hands and vision and made the transition to the pros. Whether it's in-tight or from the outside, Boucher seems to find the quality scoring areas. Boucher was not intimidated battling against bigger opponents for loose pucks and did not shy away from contact. While he had made great strides to improve his skating, it is not up to par where it needs to be.

Long-term he projects as a second or third line forward capable of chipping in offensively for a franchise sorely in need of scoring.

Read more at http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/reid_boucher/#z3I5rpuPk6hmCtWv.99

Boucher has played 12 games this season, splitting time between the New Jersey Devils and the Nashville Predators. He has a goal and two assists in those 12 games. He has yet to establish himself on the roster in New Jersey, bouncing up and down between the AHL and the Devils.

And his fancy stats:

Boucher was claimed by New Jersey on Sunday and the team hoped to send him to the AHL to get some playing time, according to Chris Ryan of NJ.com. However, because they were not the only team to put in a claim for him, he had to be placed on waivers once again to send him to their affiliate in Albany. It’s entirely possible the Canucks tried to claim him from Nashville on Sunday.

From Ryan’s article:

The Devils still see the promise in Boucher, which is why they tried to bring him back, but they feel he needs to be playing full time in the AHL instead of riding the bench in the NHL.

"It was one of those situations where you never want to see a player like Reid be able to leave your organization," Hynes said Monday night. "We had to make a decision and when you look at a player's career and people, you're excited for him to be able to get a different opportunity."

The Canucks can now choose to place Hansen on IR to open a roster spot for Boucher, they can send Brendan Gaunce to Utica without exposing his on waivers, or they can try to send Michael Chaput or Jayson Megna to Utica. However, both Chaput and Megna require waivers.