Barring a last-minute change of heart, the Vancouver Canucks will let Brock Boeser test the free-agent market. However, they haven’t ruled out signing him if he doesn’t find any offers to his liking.
Given the rise in the salary cap, it’ll be surprising if Boeser doesn’t receive lucrative offers on the open market. While the 28-year-old winger had a disappointing 25-goal, 50-point performance this season, he’s a year removed from a career-best 40-goal, 73-point campaign.
In the eight seasons since Boeser made his full-time NHL debut, he’s exceeded the 20-goal plateau six times and netted at least 45 points every year. He has a reputation as a streaky scorer, but those stats will still entice teams seeking offensive help.
Boeser is coming off a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.7 million. On April 12, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported term, rather than dollars, was the issue. After being on short-term contracts, Boeser is seeking long-term security, something the Canucks seemed reluctant to give him.
He may return to the Canucks, though the chances are slim. He’ll likely find teams with cap space seeking scoring punch willing to give him a seven-year deal worth an AAV of around $8.5 million.
