February 22, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
LOUIS STREET — He turns 26 on Saturday, but the day Brock Boser is really looking forward to is a week later.
On March 4, one day after the National Hockey League’s trade deadline, the Vancouver Canucks winger will finally meet his team for the rest of the season. After a month of negotiation, Boser’s uncertainty and anxiety finally eased somewhat. One way or another.
“Absolutely,” Boeser told Sportsnet Tuesday before the Canucks travel here to play the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, Sportsnet, SN NOW). “There has been a lot of talk in recent months. You never know what will happen. So yeah, day by day, I try to focus on that.
Boeser’s agent, Ben Hankinson, is working with Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin to find a business partner for Boeser, who has been decimated by injuries after six seasons in Vancouver.
But the $20 million extension Boeser signed with the Canucks last summer has been a huge stumbling block in trade discussions and Alvin, in an interview with Sportsnet two weeks ago, made it clear that he still respects the Minnesota native and won’t. “Force anything.”
On Wednesday, Hankinson told The Athletic that he had spoken with Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin and that Boeser would be a “perfect fit” for his home state team. But the agent said he would retain a substantial portion of Alvin Boser’s salary, and the parties could agree to an asset swap.
“They’re trying to move some things as far as they can,” Hankinson said of Wild. But where does Brock Poser fit in? I think he’s a perfect fit: a top-six scoring wing, maybe playing with (Matt) Boldy. But there are other pieces at play.
“Vancouver has to retain a lot of salary, and I don’t think they’re very excited about it because they signed Brock Boser.”
If Hankinson’s appearance on the Athletics Hockey Show was intended to put more public pressure on the Canucks to make a deal, it’s unlikely Alvin would give a legitimate Alvin, whose main goal in moving Boser was to create as much flexibility as possible in the salary cap.
Vancouver’s general manager declined an interview request Wednesday.
Two weeks ago, Alvin said of Boser: “If we have a deal that makes sense, we’ll definitely look at it. But still. . . Our job is to help you. I mean, my conversation with the coaches is: (How) to get the best out of each player? Brock is very professional. With all the outside distractions, he walks into the ring every day with a good attitude and strives to compete and be the best.
And the issue of fair wages?
“It all depends on the actual deal and what’s included,” Alvin said. “We all know that by holding cash, an asset is usually recovered.”
Alvin’s decision Tuesday to cut Luke Schenn from the Canucks’ roster and allow the veteran defenseman to wait for a potential trade back to Vancouver reminded Boeser of the uncertainty of his own situation.
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He’s been linked to several teams in reports, including the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals, according to Sportsnet Insider Elliott Friedman on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Poser said. “I come to the ring every day, I work as hard as I can with what I’ve been given and I try to take advantage of every opportunity.”
Of Schenn’s departure from the team in Nashville, Boeser said, “It’s not easy. He is one of the leaders here. He leads by example every day and he’s a guy everyone listens to in the locker room, so he’s boring to watch. He’s a guy who works hard every day, so I think if they trade him, he’ll be in a good place where he can keep winning.
Boeser had one assist and nine shot attempts in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Predators, and Canuck’s 19:21 minutes on ice was his most since Rick Tochette replaced Bruce Boudreau as coach on August 22. January.
But he’s had 37 points in 49 games this season: Bozer has just 10 goals, six of them 5-of-5, and just one goal in his last 14 games. Boeser has two assists in five games, going back to a four-point performance against the New York Islanders two weeks ago.
His defensive profile has been grim all season. The Canucks were outscored 54-39 on 5-of-5 shooting, shooting just 39.7 percent from the field. Boser’s 60-minute goals-against-ratio of 4.92 is the worst among the active Canucks, and his plus/under rating of minus-21 is the second-worst on the team.
Despite high hopes for this season and a bold 30+ goal projection, Boser was initially held back by a freak pre-season hand injury that required surgery and kept the winger out since October.
When the Canucks traded captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders three weeks ago, Boeser became Vancouver’s longest-serving player. He was a Calder Trophy runner-up five years ago, scoring 29 times, which is still the most for a poser in the NHL.
“This year has presented me with more challenges than last year,” he said after Tuesday night’s Nashville game. “I feel like some things haven’t gone my way, but I put that aside and I’m just trying to get in the ring and be better and be better for our team and try to contribute and help our team win.” I’ve been here a while and I’m sick of losing these things.” .I put my helmet on and try to work.
Where he works?
