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The Vancouver Canucks have had an interesting offseason. First, they traded for Evander Kane, shocking many in the process. The Canucks salary cap only had room for one more major move. Then, the franchise extended Brock Boeser to a seven-year, $50.75 million contract extension, surprising the hockey world, as many thought he would sign elsewhere.
The Canucks' salary cap is now under $1 million, leaving them almost no wiggle room to make any more moves. Aside from Kane, the Canucks didn't add much beyond the Boeser contract extension. It leaves Vancouver in a spot where they must essentially run it back with the same team, with Boeser as the only major chess move.
As with major contracts, fans will often wonder if it was worth it. Boeser is one of the better goal-scorers on the team. How did the Canucks and Boeser fare in the contract they just agreed to?
The Brock Boeser contract fills Canucks' salary cap
Many thought Boeser was leaving, and that he would join another team on July 1. Instead, he signed an extension that will essentially keep him in Vancouver for the majority of his career.
The Canucks locked up several players this week to put their cap space at just under $1 million. What this now indicates is that the Canucks will enter the regular season with this roster intact. They still have Elias Pettersson locked up for several more seasons. Now, they have Boeser locked up until the end of the 2029-30 campaign. The Nucks also locked in new deals with Conor Garland and Thatcher Demko.
Vancouver will retain a top line that features Pettersson, Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk. Additionally, their second line will feature Kane, Filip Chytil, and Garland. While the bottom two lines are not great, these six players make up a formidable top two lines. The Canucks contract for Boeser also might be incredibly reasonable, especially for a player of his caliber.
There may always be drawbacks. Significantly, Boeser is not the fastest skater in the world. He is also not the best at even-strength, as his production has been less than stellar. But Boeser more than makes up for it on the power play, and he remains a top threat. The Canucks needed to make a move, and they did it with a player they were already familiar with.
Many hockey analysts believed Boeser might get at least $8 million or more on the market. Furthermore, there were rumors that other teams did offer him more. The fact that Boeser took this deal showcases faith in the Canucks, and the team actually saved money by giving him a deal that could benefit both parties in the long run.
Seven years is incredibly risky. However, seven years will take Boeser into his age-35 season. While he may have some footwork issues, the Canucks are aware of what he can bring to the table, and that's why it's still a fairly good deal for them.
Vancouver Canucks grade: B
Brock Boeser gives Canucks major scoring threat
The Canucks went 38-30-14 last season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs a season after winning the Pacific Division. However, that was mainly due to injuries, especially to their top goalie. The Canucks also struggled to score, and Boeser had some issues.
Boeser finished the season with 25 goals and 25 assists, which was down from the previous season, when he had 40 goals and 33 assists. Alarmingly, these numbers fell off, and it seemed like Boeser had regressed to the mean. So, which Boeser is the real hockey player? The guy who scored 73 points in the 2023-24 season, or the guy who had 50 last year? Boeser did not take as many shots last season, firing only 145 at the net after 204 the previous season.
Boeser still got the significant contract extension, despite his slight struggles. That indicates that he made off with a substantial amount, even if it was slightly less than the market value. Boeser gets to stay in Vancouver and help the Canucks make a playoff run, and he earns a solid grade because of that. He never really wanted to leave British Columbia, and now he won't have to.
Brock Boeser grade: B+
Final Brock Boeser thoughts
Boeser could have easily taken a deal elsewhere and earned more money. Teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes all displayed interest. However, Boeser chose to stay in Vancouver and continue his goal of winning the Stanley Cup with the team that drafted him. Whether that proves to be a good deal in the long run is unknown. But Boeser has shown in the past that he is capable of scoring 70+ points. This might be the season where he rewards the Canucks for the extension and bounces back after a down year in 2024-25.
