Welcome back to NHL rumours. Each day, we look at the latest happenings around the league. From new contracts to injuries, to trades, we have it all. Today, we look at a rumour about Brock Boeser. He has been a popular name in this segment, but here is why a Brock Boeser trade return may underwhelm the Vancouver Canucks and their fans.
Brock Boeser Trade Return Very Mild
Thomas Drance of The Athletic speculates that the return on a Brock Boeser trade may be worse than what Oliver Bjorkstrand brought in this summer. That being a third and fourth-round pick.
Drancer said the Oliver Bjorkstrand return of a 3rd round pick and 4th round pick is “not happening” for Boeser.
(Canucks Talk)
— Taj (@taj1944) December 5, 2022
Bjorkstrand was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Seattle Kraken in what was largely acknowledged as a cap dump on Columbus’s part. However, Seattle was more than happy to take him on. It was only a dump in the sense that Columbus had committed money to other pieces they didn’t want to move. When Johnny Gaudreau ended up being a signing piece for them, they had to move money.
Boeser, on the other hand, has appeared to have lost all value around the league. Pretty crazy to consider when you realize how well he can put the puck in the net. Usually, teams will die for this type of player, regardless of how good or bad he has been.
Boeser’s Tough Season
There is legitimate cause for concern for anyone looking to acquire him. It has been all downhill for Boeser recently. After looking like a sure-thing 65-point player for almost four straight seasons (most of which were cut short due to injuries and the pandemic), Boeser put up just 46 points in 71 games last year. Not bad, but not the 60+ fans were hoping for. He still scored 23 goals, however.
This season, he has 15 points in 19 games, but only four goals. The real issue? His 5v5 play has been abysmal. The team is getting absolutely shelled when he is on the ice and Boeser is a large part of that issue. So any offence he does create is being offset by the lack of defence.
Still, that seems like something that could be adjusted. Which is why it is pretty surprising to hear that teams are seemingly not interested.
Should Teams Acquire Him?
The biggest concern teams likely have about a Brock Boeser trade is that it is not a one-year deal. Instead, he has two more seasons after this one at just above a $6.5 million cap hit. In the big picture, this still doesn’t seem that unreasonable for a 25-year-old with a history of scoring goals. This is why if this is the price of a trade return, there should be a ton of teams interested.
Any team that is rebuilding and has some space should look into him. Best-case scenario he bounces back to the 30-goal, 60-point player he looked like a lock to be. From there, you either have a piece that can help take you out of your rebuild or you can flip for way better assets. Worst-case scenario his 5v5 play continues to struggle and you have a veteran guy to shelter rookies and help you hit the cap floor.
Where it gets a little trickier is for teams that want to contend. Again, there is legit risk taking on his deal. However, if you are a team on the outside looking in, maybe it’s not a bad idea. Take a team like the New York Islanders for example. They are in a playoff spot and have a core that is “win-now” anyways, the upside of Boeser would much outweigh the downside of having his deal for two more years.
Likely Scenario
In reality, if this is all that is being offered, it may be in the Canucks best interest to keep him for now. Not saying they shouldn’t re-evaluate a trade down the road. But Boeser’s potential feels much too high to be throwing him away for a mid or late-round pick.
The other likely fact is that teams are currently lowballing the Canucks because they know what a tough spot they are in. If there are three or four teams interested it seems likely at least one would be willing to up their bid at least a little more. Regardless, the return for a Brock Boeser trade seems destined to be underwhelming. Especially compared to what the price would have been in years past.
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