With Friday’s news that the salary cap is set to go up, it stands to reason that Boeser should hold firm on asking for a solid raise
The longest-standing Vancouver Canuck’s contract is up this summer. It goes without saying that he is after a raise. After scoring 40 goals last year, he’s aiming to at least hit the 30-goal mark again. Boeser is going to need a bit of a flurry to make that happen, but he’s always good for one of those. Hitting 30 goals again would be confirmation that he is one of the more consistent goal scorers.
For much of his career, he has scored at about a 30-goal pace, but before last season he hadn’t yet hit 30 because he had suffered injuries. Even this year, he missed seven games due to a concussion — the first of his career.
Boeser’s playing is solid. His two-way game is underrated. He’s a good teammate.
But what kind of raise is he after? With Friday’s news that the salary cap is set to go up over the next three seasons, it stands to reason that he should hold firm on asking for a solid raise, over and beyond whatever minimal number the Canucks might be offering.
Negotiations, it’s understood, have been relatively lukewarm to date.
And when you hear GM Patrik Allvin’s reply to my question last week about where things stood between the team and the winger, who is represented by agent Ben Hankinson, you hear nothing but caution.
“We know Brock and the conversation and are evaluating,” Allvin began, listing a pair of principles, but not really defining anything. “And again, (there’s) two sides of it too. It’s going to (have to) work for both sides long-term. Anything can happen here. I guess any day.”
In other words, the GM sees everything on the player right now. That wasn’t exactly a statement that screamed they’re prepared to get this done.
Boeser loves living in Vancouver. He’s a fan of the climate, of the people, of how close nature is to home. For all the behind-the-scenes chaos he has seen here, the setting has long balanced out all that. But if he is going to hold firm on his negotiating position, you get the feeling the Canucks will move him before the deadline.
But as with anything, you never say never.
— Andrew via BlueSky
That’s obvious — it’s a guy we’ve seen a couple times already this season: Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The young sniper has started to show flashes of what he could be in the NHL.
He still needs to add some strength and weight, but we have seen the hands and they’ll be great in replacing Boeser in the long-term if the veteran winger leaves the Canucks
Of course, if you’re the Canucks, you would rather have both in the lineup. Natural goal-scorers are hard to find.
Would Miller for Morgan Rielly make sense for both teams?
— Thomas King via BlueSky
Both are signed long term, so each presents risk in that regard.
If you’re looking for the here and now, both players are reasonable bets to be useful contributors on ice.
On ice is important to understand. How do the Leafs feel about MIller’s off-ice presence? It’s clearly become an issue here. And how would Miller handle playing in a market that’s even crazier about its team than Vancouver is?
Rielly would surely shore up Vancouver’s blue-line, but that’s as much a statement about the kind of defenceman the Canucks do and don’t have right now as anything.
At this point, I will believe a trade when I see it…
— DrewL10 via BlueSky
In hockey, never say never until you see it happen.
So Drew is right to be skeptical. But it’s pretty clear that after Jim Rutherford’s carefully chosen public comments this week that management recognizes change is needed.
Why there is a rift is something we’ve been trying to figure out for weeks. When we have figured it out and are able to report it, we’ll let you know.
How serious is any of this interest? That is tough to say. And so we wait.