Brock Boeser

Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin appeared to extend an olive branch to soon-to-be free agent Brock Boeser, adding another twist to their ongoing saga, per Patrick Johnston of The Province.

Allvin met with season ticket holders and answered some questions from the fanbase, with several directed at the ongoing situation involving Boeser. On one hand, Allvin has been clear the team needs to acquire goal scorers. On the other, the franchise and Boeser have been at odds over a potential contract negotiation. So, where does the franchise stand on the idea of keeping Boeser in Vancouver? Allvin simply stated, “We’re going to see if there’s a chance to keep Brock Boeser.”

If Allvin’s words hold weight, the Canucks still have time to negotiate a contract extension with Brock Boeser and his agent, Ben Hankinson. The challenge, however, is that at this stage in the process, a hometown discount seems unlikely. With free agency fast approaching, Vancouver will likely need to match, or exceed, the going market rate to retain their star forward.

Boeser was a big name during the trade deadline, but a rich asking price kept him with the Canucks for the remainer of the season. Then in April, Boeser acknowledged that the chances of re-signing with Vancouver beyond this season were unlikely. He said at the time: “Honestly, it’s unlikely at this point. It sucks, it’s unfortunate. I’m just trying to play good hockey, and then I’ll worry about everything after that. We all know it’s been a roller coaster of a year. There’s been a lot of different things.”

In late February, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Boeser declined a five-year, $40MM extension. This would have represented a raise on his expiring contract, but maybe isn’t what Hankinson believes Boeser can get on the open market, especially with the salary cap set to climb. However, Boeser’s production (25 goals and 50 points) did not match his 2023-24 results of a career-highs of 40 goals and 73 points. It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Boeser signs this offseason—and where he ultimately lands.

The Canucks have been mathematically eliminated from the postseason. For the fourth time in the last five years, they’ll end their season with more focus on exit interviews than must-win games. In the case of this year’s Canucks squad, an early end will also bring tough questions about star players back to the surface.

Trade rumors swirled around the team’s offense for much of the season, with winger Brock Boeser at the forefront of a lot of speculation. Boeser was believed to be a top name at the Trade Deadline after failing to agree on an extension with Vancouver. But a rich asking price kept the former 40-goal scorer in place past the deadline. Now, a few months later, Boeser shared that a return seems unlikely when asked about his next contract by Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre:

Honestly, it’s unlikely at this point. It sucks, it’s unfortunate. I’m just trying to play good hockey, and then I’ll worry about everything after that. We all know it’s been a roller coaster of a year. There’s been a lot of different things.

News that Boeser is headed out of Vancouver isn’t necessarily a surprise given that contract extension discussions didn’t yield much traction throughout the season even as those talks were held close to the deadline.  But still, likely losing a long-term core player for no return in a year that saw Vancouver also miss the playoffs has to sting for GM Patrik Allvin.

Barring an unlikely change of heart over the next two-plus months, Boeser will test unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career.  He’ll be doing so on a bit of a down year relative to his performance a year ago when he had 40 goals and 33 assists, both career highs.  Through 71 games this season, Boeser has 25 goals and 24 helpers, numbers that are closer to his career norms.

Back in late February, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Boeser declined a five-year, $40MM extension, an offer that would have given him a $1.35MM raise compared to his current deal.  Had he been able to replicate his 40-goal effort from 2023-24, he’d have been well-positioned to beat that on the open market.

But last season is also the only time that Boeser reached the 60-point mark, let alone 70.  In previous years, his point totals have ranged from 45 to 56 with some of those coming in shortened seasons between injuries and a shorter schedule in 2019-20 and 2020-21.  Even with some significant increases coming in the salary cap, how much more could Boeser realistically command when his track record of production is more of a high-end second liner most years?  That question will be answered in a few months and it doesn’t appear that the Canucks will be the team to provide it.

PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed to this post.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported last night that the Vancouver Canucks were not willing to accept anything less than a first-round pick at the NHL Trade Deadline for forward Brock Boeser. No other team met the request, and ultimately Vancouver held onto the pending unrestricted free agent and will hold the exclusive rights to negotiate an extension into the summer. Canucks general manager Patrick Allvin came out in his press conference Friday and said that offers for Boeser weren’t good, which likely wasn’t meant as a shot at Boeser’s play but may not have been well received by the 28-year-old.

Vancouver’s asking price for Boeser was fair, given that it was a seller’s market at the deadline and many of the players traded were moved for astronomical prices. A year ago, Boeser would have been a hot commodity on the trade market after he tallied 40 goals and added 33 assists in 81 games.

Like many Canucks players, Boeser is having a down season after posting several career highs a year ago. Boeser has tallied 18 goals and 20 assists this season in 55 games and has a -20 plus/minus. His shooting percentage is almost 3% higher than his career average, which indicates that his drop in production isn’t simply a case of a player cooling off. Boeser’s shot volume has taken a considerable drop this year, as have his possession numbers, which is surprising given that Vancouver have been giving him more favorable deployment this season, starting him in almost 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

There is no word yet on whether Vancouver will sign Boeser long term, which will make for an interesting development over the next few months.