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The Vancouver Canucks are in a weird spot after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season. Vancouver has a roster with some talent on it. They are not one of the worst teams in the league by any means.
And yet, the Canucks can't seem to make the playoffs despite that talent. On top of that, Vancouver is not in the best position salary cap-wise, even after buying out Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
This summer promises to bring some changes to the Canucks roster. The on-ice product will look different by the beginning of next season. Among the players potentially heading out of town is forward Brock Boeser.
Boeser, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Canucks. He signed a three-year contract extension last summer. However, he had a bit of a down season in 2022-23 and was subject to trade rumors around the deadline. With Vancouver's cap issues, a trade this summer appears likely.
With that in mind, here are three teams that represent the best potential landing spots in the event of a Brock Boeser trade.
3) New York Islanders
The Islanders are certainly no strangers to pulling off massive trades with the Canucks. Vancouver traded Bo Horvat to the Islanders back in January for a package of two players and a 2023 first-round pick.
The Islanders had trouble scoring this past season, and it showed. New York's 2.95 goals-per-game average came in as the 22nd overall mark in the league. Things didn't get better in the playoffs, as they held the fourth-lowest goals-per-game average among playoff teams.
The Islanders could play Boeser with Mathew Barzal on the first line. They could also skate him with Horvat on the second line in a bit of a Canucks reunion. Either way, they have options if they decide to pursue Boeser.
2) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have a new face in the front office with Kyle Dubas at the helm. Dubas made bold moves for the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially this past trade deadline season. Expect that to continue with the Penguins.
The Penguins have a projected $20.2 million in cap space as of this writing. Pittsburgh could take on the entire $6.650 million cap hit if they wanted, but it's unlikely they do so.
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Boeser likely slots in as a second-line winger on Sidney Crosby's line. And at the age of 26, he is not just a short-term play for Dubas and Pittsburgh. There is legitimate long-term potential here if Boeser rebounds.
The Canucks likely retain some of Brock Boeser's salary in a trade. Though the Penguins could trade Mikael Granlund or Jeff Petry to further clear cap space. Either way, keep an eye on the Penguins as a potential landing spot.
1) Minnesota Wild
The Wild had an interest in Boeser at the trade deadline, but a deal failed to come together. Now, there is a chance Wild general manager Bill Guerin brings Boeser back home.
Boeser is a native of the state of Minnesota, making the links between player and team obvious. However, the Wild have less than $10 million in cap space to work with as this offseason rolls on.
The Wild could create some cap space with a few trades. Defenseman Alex Goligoski ($2 million) and forward Marcus Foligno ($3.1 million) are obvious cap-dump candidates for Minnesota.
If a cap dump move doesn't work, Vancouver and Minnesota could entice a third team to help facilitate this move. Minnesota could part with, say, a 2024 fifth-round pick in exchange for a third team retaining salary on Boeser.
In any event, a trade to the Minnesota Wild would bring Brock Boeser back home. That's something neither the Penguins nor the Islanders can offer to the 26-year-old former first-round pick.
