Canucks & Boeser Stall on Contract Extension Talks

Brock Boeser’s time with the Vancouver Canucks looks like it’s coming to an end, with the team setting a March 7 trade deadline to either extend his contract or move him to another team.

It’s been a rocky season for the longest-serving Canuck.

Boeser started strong, putting up 6 goals and 11 points in his first 12 games. Then a nasty elbow to the head from the Kings’ Tanner Jeannot sidelined him for three weeks with a concussion.

Since coming back around Thanksgiving, his numbers have been decent but not spectacular – 9 goals and 16 points in 25 games. The bigger problem? He’s sitting at -10 on defense.

This drop in performance couldn’t have come at a worse time for Boeser. He’s coming off his best NHL season ever, where he lit up the scoreboard with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games. That kind of year usually leads to a big payday.

But something’s been off. He’s seemed to match the energy of whoever he’s playing with – usually either Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller, who haven’t exactly been bringing their A-game lately.

According to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, the Canucks aren’t waiting around to see if things improve.

It’s an unusual move for a team that’s just one point out of a playoff spot to consider trading one of their best scorers. But then again, nothing about this Canucks season has been normal.

Boeser should attract plenty of interest around the league. He’s got a solid scoring record, and his contract only lets him block trades to 10 teams.

Several teams could use his scoring touch:
– The Calgary Flames
– Boston Bruins
– Detroit Red Wings
– St. Louis Blues

But the real contenders might be teams like the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, or even Boeser’s hometown Minnesota Wild.

While nothing’s set in stone yet, it’s looking more and more like Boeser will be wearing different colors by spring.