A revitalized Brock Boeser could be the key to a surprise Canucks campaign

Brock Boeser turned back the clock on Wednesday night.

For the first time in a while, the 26-year-old right winger looked like the player he was during his first three NHL seasons.

Boeser scored four goals and recorded seven scoring chances during the Vancouver Canucks 8-1 roust over the Edmonton Oilers in their season opener.

The results are one thing, but the process is arguably the most encouraging component of Boeser’s season debut. Long criticized for his footspeed, Boeser appeared quicker, was engaged in all three zones, and perhaps most importantly, exemplified a degree of swagger that we’ve hardly seen from him over the last few seasons.

It’s early, of course, but last night was a massive step in the right direction for the forward to have a bounce-back season for the Canucks.

And boy, would it ever do wonders for Vancouver if Boeser returned to being the player he was when he broke into the league.

Boeser displayed a knack for unleashing his “brocket” of a shot right from the get-go of his NHL career, recording 29 goals and 55 points during a 2017-18 rookie campaign that saw him earn MVP honours at the NHL All-Star Game and finish as a Calder Trophy finalist.

Throughout his first three seasons, Boeser posted 1.01 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes — placing him in the 95th percentile among all skaters that played at least 1000 minutes, according to NaturalStatTrick.com — and 8.26 5-on-5 scoring chances per 60 (90th percentile). He established himself as a lethal power play weapon, too, combining for 21 power play goals through that span — tying him for 50th league-wide.

But in years four to six of his NHL career, Boeser was a shell of the elite sniper he was in those early years.

The American winger's 5-on-5 scoring touch vanished — recording 0.63 goals (63rd percentile) and 7.72 scoring chances (74th percentile) per 60 minutes. The warts in his game, such as his lack of foot speed and defensive deficiencies — which weren’t all that important when he was putting the puck in the net — were put under a microscope. As the years went on, his confidence progressively declined, which didn't help matters either.

Granted, Boeser dealt with a variety of different injuries and ailments during that span as well. The 2022-23 season — a career-low in terms of underlying numbers despite finishing with 55 points in 74 games — was especially difficult for him as he grieved the death of his father, heard his name in the rumour mill and battled a hand injury. For his perseverance, Boeser was eventually nominated for the Masterson Trophy by The Professional Hockey Writers Association Vancouver chapter last year.

“It was a long year; I went through some stuff,” Boeser told reporters in April. “I'm trying to explain this right. It's hard for people to understand the aftereffects of what I went through. Unless you really go through this, you can’t understand what it's like dealing with a (dying) family member. I really blamed hockey for not being home with my dad. That was a big challenge I worked through this year. And with my hand injury, then the trade rumors, and I wasn't playing good — it just all was a lot.”

Sometimes, the mental side of things can be lost when evaluating players' performances. It's impossible to overlook the importance of a player like Boeser saying his biggest improvements this past summer came between the ears.

“Just mentally, kind of finding that motivation again and peace with everything. It was a really good summer. I was itching to get back for a few months,” Boeser said.

From an on-ice standpoint, Boeser — at his best — is exactly what the Canucks’ top-six needs. Say what you will about how dysfunctional the Canucks can be, but the talent on their roster is certainly not lacking.

Backstopped by Thatcher Demko, a goaltender capable of being among the league's elite, they have a solid blend of puck-moving defensemen, led by Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek, and stay-at-home defenders, such as Ian Cole and Carson Soucy.

Up front, they’re anchored down the middle by Elias Petterson and J.T Miller. Andrei Kuzmenko will ride shotgun with one of the two — likely Petterson — which leaves a prime spot alongside Miller for Boeser.

If the 2015 23rd overall pick can remain consistent, Vancouver boasts a dangerous top-six, and if Boeser is feeling confident, his shot can help elevate the Canucks’ power play from being above-average to one of the league’s best.

It's clear that if all continues to trend in the right direction, Boeser could play a big role in Vancouver’s quest for a playoff berth.