Re-Sign Or Trade? What Should The Canucks Do With Brock Boeser This Season

The Vancouver Canucks are in a tricky spot when it comes to Brock Boeser. The 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and, based on his production, will most likely carry a cap hit of above $8.5 million on his next deal. While July 1 is still over six months away, a decision on Boeser may come earlier than that, as Vancouver may elect to trade the right-winger rather than sign him to a long-term deal.

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In a recent interview with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin had an intriguing quote surrounding re-signing Boeser, saying, "I still think there is time. I think those things. . . it could happen quickly. But again, we're trying to figure out where we are as a team and what we need to be more consistent. I'm happy that Brock is scoring goals here lately. But I would have him in the same boat as Petey and Miller in terms of giving us more when we need more. There is more to give, absolutely."

Despite missing a handful of games due to a concussion, Boeser is still on pace to have a solid season. In fact, his goals (1.6), assists (1.3), and points (2.9) rates per 60 through 28 games are the same as what he had in 82 games last season. That being said, Boeser hasn't been as strong in the defensive zone, which is one of many reasons why Vancouver has struggled to start the season.

Trying to sort out what value Boeser would have on the trade market is complicated, as players of his stature aren't usually traded mid-season. One recent example came from last year's trade deadline when Tyler Toffoli was dealt from the New Jersey Devils to the Winnipeg Jets for a second and a third-round pick. The problem is, while this is good value on a pending unrestricted free agent, a return like this would signal the Canucks being a seller at the deadline, which they do not plan to be.

The other option is re-signing Boeser, which comes with its issues. On top of a high-cap hit, there could be concerns with the length of the contract. For example, if Boeser signs an eight-year deal, he would be 36 at the end of the contract. While the cap is expected to rise every season, if Boeser does start to regress as players do when they get older, it could create some cap issues for Vancouver in the future.

As for a contract comparable for Boeser's next deal, the player who is often brought up is Philadelphia Flyers, Travis Konecny. The eight-year, $70 million deal was signed during the offseason and will kick in during the 2025-26 season when Konecny is 28 years old. While Boeser's agent, Ben Hankinson, can use the argument that Boeser deserves more because he has a better career points per game than Konecny, an AAV of around $8.75 million per season is where Boeser's next contract is most likely to end up.

While the NHL is a business, parting with a player like Boeser is never an easy decision. He has spent his entire 507-game career with the Canucks, and sits top-15 all-time in franchise history for both goals and points. Boeser is also a fan favourite and has developed plenty of on-ice chemistry with both Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. In the end, what to do with Boeser is not an easy decision for Allvin and his management staff, as it will have a massive impact on the franchise for the foreseeable future.