Why Canucks Shouldn't Deal Brock Boeser Ahead of Deadline amid NHL Trade Rumors

Brock Boeser has spent his entire seven-year NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks. But could his situation change before the trade deadline?

After 3 p.m. ET on Friday, the league's 32 teams can no longer swing deals during the 2022-23 season. And between now and then, plenty of moves could occur. It's already been an eventful week with quite a few notable trades having been completed.

While some players have been dealt, others are being featured in rumors. The latter group includes Boeser, a 26-year-old forward who has been a consistent scorer throughout his career.

On Tuesday, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported there was "lots of smoke" surrounding the Canucks and that talks involving Boeser had been "picking up." Things can change quickly this time of year, though.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported Wednesday that there's a "moving target" regarding the probability of Boeser getting traded before the deadline. Dreger noted there's interest in Boeser, but Vancouver "isn't keen on retaining money."

"A bad contract coming back or 30-40% retention may be required to get something done by the deadline," Dreger tweeted. "Otherwise, a summer move is more likely."

So perhaps Boeser will still be with the Canucks this weekend after all. If so, that may not be the worst thing for either side.

In 52 games this season, Boeser has only 11 goals, meaning he's in jeopardy of finishing with fewer than 20 for only the second time in the past six seasons. He also has a plus-minus of minus-22 after never having one worse than minus-five in his NHL career.

Part of the reason for that is because Vancouver has struggled. But Boeser hasn't quite been himself, either, which may be negatively affecting his trade stock. The Canucks may not get much of a return for him, and as Dreger noted, they may have to take on a big contract in order to move Boeser.

If Vancouver can get decent draft capital in such a deal, it could still be wise to trade Boeser. Otherwise, it may be better off to wait.

Boeser still has two more seasons on his contract, as he isn't set to become an unrestricted free agent until 2025. He's not getting paid a huge salary, either, as he's making $6.65 million each year.

Because Boeser has a track record of being a strong offensive player, there's reason to believe he'll play better in the 2023-24 season, especially if the Canucks improve the roster around him a bit. Then, they could trade Boeser and get a better return.

Or maybe the market will be a bit different by the summer. It's always changing, and Vancouver is in a position to be patient and wait to see how it develops for Boeser.

So for now, the Canucks may not want to move Boeser. The list of potential trade partners may be dwindling, anyway.

Pagnotta had reported that Vancouver had "serious discussions" about Boeser with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were showing "genuine interest." But the Pens acquired center Mikael Granlund in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, so perhaps they'll no longer be pursuing Boeser.

The Canucks shouldn't feel a sense of urgency to move Boeser. In the long run, it may benefit them more to hold on to him at least a bit longer.