Canucks Need to Consider Trade Brock Boeser – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are looking to have a busy season heading into July 1. The team is in dire need of more defensemen as they currently only have four signed for next season. The team is looking to trade forward Ilya Mikheyev to any suitors because he hasn’t fit in well with coach Rick Tocchet’s new system and releasing his $4.75 million cap hit would be a big help for the team. But trading Mikheyev likely won’t bring back much that Vancouver could use to help their team win now. If the Canucks are looking to trade a player to help their team win right now, the perfect player would be Brock Boeser.

Trading Boeser Will Give Canucks Best Return

The idea of ​​trading Boeser is not a novel idea. The forward has been in a lot of trade rumors before this season started and it looks like his days in Vancouver may be numbered. But this season, he had his best season of his career (40 goals, 73 points) which made his trade value rise significantly. Vancouver lost several key assets in the Elias Lindholm trade including top defensive prospect Hunter Brzustewicz who Vancouver could use on the line as they continue their defense search. Vancouver will need to restock their locker room and trading a player like Boeser is their best option in that regard.

Players like Boeser have fetched high prices in recent years. For example, the Los Angeles Kings acquired Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild for a first round pick and Brock Faber. The Ottawa Senators acquired Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks for seventh-overall pick Kevin Korchinski and a second-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick. If those players were able to get that return in the trade, trading Boeser should allow Vancouver to get closer to the same return. Assets like that would be monumental for Vancouver since it doesn’t have draft picks in the first two rounds. So, if they get a late first round pick or a second round pick, a team can choose to keep it and use it in the draft, or trade the pick to another team for a defenseman.

Boeser Has 1 Year Left On His Contract

Boeser is currently entering the final year of a three-year contract that pays him just under $6.7 million per season. In his coming offseason, he’ll be looking to cash in on a big payday like most of his teammates and NHL teammates have done in recent memory. With the Canucks having so much money tied up in Elias Pettersson and JT Miller, they may not have room to sign Boeser unless they want to trade a big money player like Quinn Hughes which I feel would be a bad move. Vancouver could look to trade a player like Conor Garland to free up space for Boeser, but Garland played very well in the playoffs this spring, especially against the Edmonton Oilers in the final round for Vancouver.

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Boeser was a big asset to Vancouver during the regular season and his playoffs were cut short due to tragic bleeding problems that arose out of nowhere. But the relief that could come from trading Boeser and the assets that Vancouver could accumulate as part of the trade could far outweigh Boeser’s potential production over the next few seasons. The trade will also help the Canucks avoid lengthy contract negotiations with Boeser that I’m sure general manager Patrik Allvin doesn’t want to endure again after going through that process with Pettersson and Fillip Hronek recently. If Boeser’s interview number is very high, trading him will be the best option for the team going forward because they won’t have to go through a lengthy interview process and can get him more assets.

Vancouver needs to look to the future of their team and what they need right now is a strong defense and future draft assets. Trading Boeser could help them accumulate that and there are several young players who can do what Boeser did for less. Losing him wouldn’t be too bad for the franchise.