Snapshots: Hofer, Boeser, Puljujarvi, Seney
Some have speculated that Blues goaltender Joel Hofer could be an offer sheet candidate this summer. Speaking with reporters today including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Doug Armstrong tried his best to dissuade any potential suitors away:
We’ve taken the Boston-Detroit approach last year when they had RFAs. They made sure they left enough cap space that any offer could be matched. I’m very comfortable we can match any offer if we choose to match it. It won’t be we didn’t match it because we couldn’t afford it. It will be we didn’t match it because we thought the value we were getting back was better, and that value would have to start with a first-round pick or else we’ll just match it.
I’m not saying we wouldn’t match it with a first either, but I guess this is my shot across the bow. You can go after him. You’re not going to get him.
Hofer put up a 2.65 GAA and a .909 SV% in 65 games while playing on his two-year bridge contract, putting him in line for a significant raise on the league-minimum salary of $775K that he was making during that time. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a short-term deal come in around $3MM, especially since he’s arbitration-eligible this summer. Hofer could be a candidate for a second bridge contract as he’s still three years away from UFA eligibility while lining up the expiration of his deal at the same time that Blues starter Jordan Binnington’s contract will be up.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Senators are expected to show interest in pending UFA winger Brock Boeser if he gets to the open market, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Ottawa was 30th in the NHL in goals scored at five-on-five and Boeser, who has notched roughly 26 goals per year over the last five seasons, would certainly help in that regard. However, affording him could be a challenge. The Sens have around $10.75MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, but have made it known that they don’t plan to be a cap-spending team in 2025-26. Considering that Boeser could command more than $8MM per season in free agency, he might be out of their price range unless they can open up money elsewhere first.
- While Jesse Puljujarvi was one of only a few players still playing in the Calder Cup Finals (until recently when Abbotsford won the series in six), it appears he’s already looking ahead to his next deal. Blick, a Swiss newspaper, reports that the 27-year-old is likely to sign in the Swiss NL next season, likely with HC Lugano. Puljujarvi started the year with Pittsburgh, getting into 26 games but asked for his contract to be terminated after he cleared waivers and was sent to the minors in February. He quickly signed with Florida’s AHL team and was eventually converted to an NHL contract, getting into five games with the Panthers. But while Puljujarvi has nearly 400 games at the top level under his belt, he has been more of an NHL-AHL ‘tweener’ lately so heading overseas where he can play a bigger role might make the most sense for him.
- Pending Blackhawks UFA winger Brett Seney has decided not to test the open market after all and will remain with the organization. But after playing on an NHL deal in recent years, that won’t be the case anymore as their affiliate, AHL Rockford, announced that they’ve signed the 29-year-old to a two-year contract. Seney has 66 career NHL appearances under his belt, including four in 2023-24, but spent all of this season in the minors where he notched 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games.
Ducks Interested In Tavares, Boeser As Marner Backup
While the Anaheim Ducks may be prepared to offer pending free agent Mitch Marner a record-breaking offer, the team is interested in several other additions if Marner signs elsewhere. This list includes veterans John Tavares and Brock Boeser, per The Fourth Period.
Anaheim holds more than $30MM in cap space (per PuckPedia), and ownership recently discussed the desire to build a Stanley Cup-caliber team as soon as possible, setting off speculation that they’ll aggressively pursue Marner. Yet with only one winner in that sweepstakes, the Ducks are also eyeing pending free agents like Tavares and Boeser to bolster their offense.
While Marner appears almost certain to leave Toronto, Tavares remains optimistic about re-signing with the Leafs. Still, at 36, he may view Anaheim’s cap-rich, rebuilding opportunity as perhaps his final shot at a big payday. After posting 38 goals last season (his most since the 2018-19 season), Tavares proved he still has a lot left in the tank. Although his next contract won’t match his current $11MM AAV, Tavares could still land a significant multi‑year deal if he tests the open market.
Anaheim is also among a host of teams reportedly tied to Boeser. As David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reported, Boeser is a “longshot” to return to Vancouver, setting the stage for the 28-year-old sniper to hit the open market. While the interest in Boeser’s services appears lengthy, the type of deal he’ll command is a bit murkier than other pending free agents. Unlike Tavares, Boeser didn’t set the world on fire in his contract year. His goal total dropped from 40 during the 2023-24 season to just 25 last season. His points also fell by 23, and his plus/minus dropped from plus-23 to minus-25 year over year. Still, Boeser posted his sixth career season with at least 23 goals and remains on the right side of 30. The limited options in this free agent class also work to his advantage.
Heeding the turnaround desire from ownership, the Ducks have already had a busy offseason, including the hire of Joel Quenneville as head coach, trading for veteran forward Chris Kreider, and resigning pending restricted free agent Nikita Nesterenko. The team also faces a tough decision regarding goalie John Gibson, who has long been rumored to be on the trade block. Through it all, it’s expected that the Ducks will seek to add offensive firepower in free agency, with Tavares and/or Boeser potentially serving as solid backup options if they miss out on Marner.
Canucks GM Allvin States Team Is Interested In Retaining 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.
Brock Boeser Unlikely To Stay With Canucks This Summer
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.
Canucks Notes: Tocchet, Boeser, Offseason Target, Celebrini
Don’t expect to hear any news about a contract extension for Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet anytime soon. Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre relays that the bench boss noted on local radio earlier this week that he has told management that he does not want to discuss a new deal at this time. Instead, he wants to concentrate his focus on Vancouver’s playoff push. The Canucks hold a club option on Tocchet’s contract for next season, one that’s expected to be exercised should a new deal not be reached in the meantime while Tocchet noted that his decision shouldn’t be construed as a lack of desire to remain behind the bench or a play for more leverage.
More from Vancouver:
- The Canucks weren’t able to re-sign or find a suitable trade for Brock Boeser before the trade deadline earlier this month. Speaking with Pierre LeBrun in a piece for The Athletic (subscription link), GM Patrik Allvin wouldn’t rule out the possibility of further extension talks taking place even though the two sides weren’t close enough to hammer out a deal a couple of weeks ago, shifting them to focus toward a trade that didn’t materialize. Boeser is having a bit of a quieter year, notching 20 goals and 21 assists through 61 games after potting 40 goals and 33 helpers just last season. It’s believed that he turned down a five-year, roughly $40MM extension offer earlier in the season but it’s unclear what Vancouver’s most recent offer was.
- While the Canucks picked up Filip Chytil as part of the J.T. Miller trade earlier this season, don’t be surprised if they add another center this summer. Allvin revealed in the same interview that “definitely we’ll do that in the offseason, whether that’s through trade or free-agent signing.” Pius Suter is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer so if he departs, they will certainly have another opening down the middle to fill while Chytil’s concussion history will likely motivate them to get some more center depth as well.
- Prospect Aiden Celebrini is expected to remain at Boston University next season, relays Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest. The 20-year-old defenseman was a sixth-round pick by Vancouver back in 2023, going 171st overall. He’s close to wrapping up his sophomore year with the Terriers and has a goal and five assists through 26 games this season. The Canucks hold Celebrini’s rights through August 15, 2027.
Hurricanes Believed To Have Shown Interest In Brock Boeser Before Trade Deadline
When it was known that the Hurricanes would be acquiring a pair of first-round picks as part of their return for Mikko Rantanen, the fact the deal wasn’t officially finalized until close to the trade deadline complicated Carolina’s efforts on that front.
However, it appears as if they made an effort to flip one of those picks to get some win-now help as Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic recently reported (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes are believed to have tried to make a run at adding Canucks winger Brock Boeser just before the deadline with one of those newly-acquired first rounders potentially in the offer.
The idea of adding Boeser certainly would have made a lot of sense from Carolina’s standpoint to help fill the void vacated by Rantanen and Martin Necas before the initial swap with Colorado. While the 28-year-old isn’t necessarily as offensively gifted as Rantanen or Necas, he has been a pretty reliable scorer throughout his career. Boeser isn’t on his way to his second straight 40-goal season but he has 18 goals and 20 helpers through 57 games which would have made him a good fit on the second line for the Hurricanes.
Of course, with Vancouver still squarely in the mix for a playoff spot in the West, it’s understandable why a futures-based return for one of their top wingers wouldn’t have been appealing to GM Patrik Allvin. Even when they moved J.T. Miller, they quickly flipped the first-round pick to Pittsburgh for two players who were quickly signed to contract extensions as they continued to operate with a win-now mindset. With that in mind, it’s reasonable to infer that if Boeser were to be moved, Allvin’s preference would have been a player-for-player type of swap over a futures-based offer like Carolina’s.
Dhaliwal also notes that the Canucks took a late run at trying to get Boeser signed to a contract extension. The only reported offer that’s out there was a five-year, $40MM proposal from earlier in the season; it’s unclear how much their new offer differed from their original but with a big jump coming in the salary cap, Boeser’s camp likely feels that they’ll be able to beat that on the open market this summer if a new deal with Vancouver isn’t reached by then. And if that doesn’t happen, there’s probably a good chance that the Hurricanes will be among the teams calling on July 1st.
Canucks Wanted First Round Pick For Brock Boeser
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.
Canucks Won’t Trade Brock Boeser Despite Prior Interest
2:00 PM: The Vancouver Canucks have opted to retain Boeser rather than opting for a trade per DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli. No signs of an extension are currently in place – but the team has opted to end their Trade Deadline early after a quiet day.
11:30 AM: It’s “more likely than not” the Canucks will move pending UFA winger Brock Boeser before the 2 p.m. CT trade deadline, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. No deal is imminent yet, but Vancouver is engaging in offer-gathering.
The Canucks’ reported best offer to Boeser was a five-year, $40MM deal carrying an $8MM AAV. That offer was rejected by Boeser initially and recently taken off the table entirely by the team, per Darren Dreger of TSN.
It’s been a tough year for the 28-year-old, who’s dropped to 18 goals in 54 games after notching a career-high 40 in 81 appearances last season. His shooting percentage hasn’t regressed much, only from 19.6% to 17% – still above his 14% career average. He’s taking the fewest shots on goal per game of his NHL career with 1.96, struggling to create chances for himself.
That difficult contract year showing, plus the fact that it is a seller’s market has no doubt played into the Canucks decision to move on from the nine-year NHL veteran. Boeser has been a consistent 20-goal scorer throughout his career but has topped the 30-goal mark just once (last season) and isn’t a big play driver. His play at times can be frustrating if he isn’t putting the puck in the net, which is likely why Vancouver capped their offer at five years.
If Boeser finishes the season strong he could land a more lucrative deal in total dollars than he would have with the Canucks, but if he struggles he might not match the $8MM AAV that Vancouver was offering.
Vancouver has been in a state of flux for much of this season and has seen a ton of player movement in recent weeks with the trade of J.T. Miller and the acquisition of Marcus Pettersson. They currently sit one point out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, which makes it hard to imagine them dealing Boeser for futures. However, they could do as they did with Miller and acquire draft picks or prospects to use in another move that adds to their current roster.
PHR’s Josh Cybulski contributed to this article.
Trade Deadline Notes: Nelson, Boeser, Panthers
The Trade Deadline has appeared over the horizon and teams like the Colorado Avalanche are already doing what they can to get out ahead of the pack. They acquired forward Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers this weekend, and could still be attached to some of the market’s top names. That includes New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson per The Fourth Period, who adds Nelson could be the cheap acquisition Colorado needs to bolster their top-six.
Nelson, 33, is in the sunset years of his career but he’s still managing to produce. He has 19 goals and 41 points in 60 games this season, just one point behind Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the team-lead in scoring. Nelson also earned a nod from USA Hockey by making this year’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, where he played in four games but didn’t manage any scoring.
Nelson scored 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23, and followed it with 34 goals and 69 points last season. He may be beginning to slow down but his offense could be spurred once again with a move away from the Isalnders – the only NHL team Nelson has ever played for. Because of that exclusivity, New York will certainly need a convincing offer to part ways with one of their top scorers. Nelson also has a 16-team no-trade clause on his contract, which is set to expire this summer. That could help him dictate where he ends up – though the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche would certainly be a fine landing spot as the vet chases his first Cup win.
Other notes swirling around the Trade Deadline:
- Recent reports have pointed towards an impasse forming between the Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser after the winger declined a five-year, $40MM contract extension. Now it seems the wedge could be driven in further, with TSN’s Darren Dreger sharing that the extension offer has been rescinded and that the team is exploring all options. Boeser is struggling to follow-up after scoring a career-high 40 goals last season – but he’s still performing at a higher level than in his early career. He has 18 goals and 36 points in 53 games this season, putting him on pace for 28 goals and 56 points on the year. That’s helped along by Boeser’s 17.3 shoting percentage this season – a step down from his 19.6 percent last year but still far above his career average of 14 percent. A high shooting percentage could be inflating Boeser’s numbers, or he could have finally found the goal-scoring groove he was looking for. With offers no longer on the table, it seems that answer will be found by a deadline buyer in need of shooting talent. Boeser has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to exempt 10 teams. His deal expires this summer.
- The Florida Panthers helped break the market open with their swap of top goalie prospect Spencer Knight for top defenseman Seth Jones. That move pushed Florida right up against the wall of the salary cap – but they’ve opened up more breathing room by placing star Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Florida is now projected to have $8.71MM in cap space on deadline day, per PuckPedia, and they’re expected to use it. Chris Johnston of The Athletic shared that Panthers general manager Bill Zito has proven ambitious in years past, and could see a chance to bolster his lineup a bit further. The Panthers have made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the last two seasons, and took away hardware last year. They’ll have their sights fully trained on repeating the feat this year – and a boost to their depth offense or a new backup goaltender would go far towards solidifying their chances.
Trade Deadline Notes: Boeser, Sharks, Schenn
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser has reportedly turned down a five-year, $40MM contract extension per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, who adds that Boeser is looking for more term on his next deal. The $8MM cap hit on the rumored offer would be a $1.35MM bump from Boeser’s price tag this season.
Boeser is certainly due for a raise on his next deal, after posting the first 40-goal season of his career last year. His statement performance came after four straight seasons of failing to even reach 25 goals. It was largely helped along by a career-high 19.6 shooting percentage, over seven percent higher than his average of 12.7 percent in six seasons prior. And while Boeser has struggled to reach that same success rate this year, his 18 goals and 17.3 shooting percentage in 52 games suggest he may have really found a new gear to his scoring.
Boeser will be a top name leading into the Trade Deadline if Vancouver isn’t willing to commit to him for a longer term. His spike in scoring and inflated shooting percentage are certainly warning flags, but he could offer the experience of a 500-game pro for the cheap cost of a deadline rental. A short-sighted trade would leave Boeser open to pick his next team in unrestricted free agency, though if he’d get another $8MM offer could hinge on how well he scores through the end of the year.
Other Trade Deadline notes from out West:
- An NHL executive pointed out the potential chemistry between the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports. The 23-year-old Byram has been loosely circulated around trade rumors and could be a perfect addition to San Jose’s rebuild. The Sharks also have plenty to give up for the top-pair defender. Peng shares that there’s a sense Buffalo could use more size and grit. That motivation could make Sharks prospects like Quentin Musty or Kasper Halttunen enticing options. Both top prospects are performing well in the OHL this season. Musty has 43 points in just 26 games and Halttunen has 29 points in 27 games and 13 in his last 10. With the right mix of draft capital, either name could be enough to swing Byram away from Buffalo – though Peng notes he still doesn’t sense San Jose would pay such a price. He shares that the team could instead try and leverage some of their first-round draft picks to land big additions.
- The St. Louis Blues could be asking for as much as two first-round draft picks for captain Brayden Schenn, per Seravalli in his latest trade board. That’s notably the same price St. Louis asked for Pavel Buchnevich, who has five more points than Schenn this season, at last year’s Trade Deadline. The Blues couldn’t find a suitor, and it’s hard to envision they’ll make a match for Schenn at this price either. With Schenn boasting a full no-trade clause, it may take a silver tongue to convince veteran Blues GM Doug Armstrong to trade his captain… once again.