March 3rd, 2025
Alex Rickman
We are officially less than one week out from trade deadline day. As is usual with the Canucks enigmatic front office, we aren’t sure what exactly will happen between now and March 7th. Knowing their aggressive nature, one would expect moves to be made between now and then, but it remains unclear whether they will be buying, selling, or some third mystery option. However, one thing is clear right now: a decision needs to be made on Brock Boeser’s future soon.
Currently the Canucks longest tenured player, Boeser is set to hit free agency on July 1st following what has been a disappointing season from the Minnesotan. Following a 40-goal, 73-point 2023-24 campaign, expectations were high for Boeser this year. However, with only 18 goals and 36 assists through 52 games this year, and currently in the midst of a slump that has limited him to just 3 points in the month of February. Adding to that, Brock’s unfortunate injury history and dwindling footspeed make him a risky investment at the best of times.
We all know what Brock Boeser is capable of being. We also know how streaky he can be and how hard it can be to win games when relying on players whose game regularly comes with peaks and valleys. With that being said, what can the Canucks afford to give Boeser to keep him while not handicapping their ability to build a roster around him? For a player who has only eclipsed the 30-goal mark once in his career and is an unremarkable, although not bad, defensive presence, it’s hard to justify offering Boeser more than about $7 million AAV over 5 years. Unfortunately, this may be where the issues lie.
Reportedly, the Canucks are unwilling to offer more than 5 years to Boeser, who, in turn, wants a 6+ year deal. It’s easy to see why Boeser, who turned 28 just a few days ago, would want to secure a long-term deal now, as this will almost certainly be his last chance to sign a big-money contract before age becomes a more restrictive factor in signing him. At the same time, however, it’s also wise of the Canucks front office not to commit term to a 28 year old who has shown some of the issues Brock has shown. Unless something changes on one side in very short order, it looks like an extension may not be on the cards for Vancouver.
So what should the Canucks do? Some reports have indicated that the front office has considered keeping Boeser to use as an in-house rental for a postseason push effectively. This would not be an easy move to justify, and a move that would come from either delusion about what this team is capable of in the present moment or desperation for something to magically change and turn this team back to what they were last season. Keeping players who are about to hit free agency does make sense for some teams who are making a push for the Stanley Cup, but we have to face the facts here; this Canucks team is not good enough to win a cup this season, and having a few extra months of Brock Boeser will not change that.
Unfortunately, this means that unless a major concession is made on the extension front, Brock Boeser should not be a Canuck by noon on March 7th. Nobody wants to see a player like Boeser, whose love for this city and organization is unmatched. However, sometimes unpleasant moves have to be made, and this seems like one of those times. With multiple contending teams reportedly interested in adding Boeser to their ranks, the Canucks should be able to bring home a nice return for their star winger. I don’t want to see Boeser in another team’s jersey more than anyone else does, but if parting with him gives this team the assets needed to improve, we have to accept that we do not live in a perfect world.
If Boeser does end up on the move, what can we expect the Canucks to be getting in return? While the market is yet to be fully set, and it’s not clear what type of assets the Canucks will want to target in a hypothetical move, the return the San Jose Sharks got for sending Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars could be indicative of Boeser’s value. In exchange for Granlund and Ceci, the Sharks brought home a 1st and a 3rd round pick. If the Canucks are to move Boeser, they should be asking for roughly the same value. Whether that comes in the form of picks, prospects, or roster players is unclear, but if the Canucks are to part with Boeser, they should be bringing back as much or more than the Sharks brought in for Granlund and Ceci.
We seem to be in a strong seller’s market right now. Deals like the ones that saw Seth Jones become a Florida Panther and Gustav Nyquist join the Minnesota Wild brought back a strong return for the Blackhawks and the Predators. With the wheels seemingly having fallen off the bus in Vancouver, now seems like the time to cash in on this and begin a retool to get this team back where it needs to be. The possibility that Boeser remains a Canuck through the deadline, but unless that is the result of a team-friendly extension being found between now and Friday, it’s time for the Canucks to rip off the band-aid and get a good return for Brock Boeser.