With the trade deadline approaching, contract talks between Brock Boeser and the Vancouver Canucks remain at a standstill, raising the possibility that the team may move their forward.
In an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Boeser acknowledged the ongoing stalemate. Meanwhile, on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman and co-host Kyle Bukauskas discussed the latest developments.
Bukauskas noted that negotiations are ongoing, expressing optimism that Boeser and the Canucks could still reach a contract extension, given that Boeser could adjust to Vancouver’s terms.
“I don’t think this is over,” Bukauskas said. “Boeser wants to stay. Asking for a five-year deal suggests there’s flexibility to go to six under the right conditions.”
Friedman had previously reported on NHL Network that the sticking point is the contract length Boeser is seeking. “The issue for the Canucks is term. They don’t want to go beyond five years,” Friedman said. “They could trade Boeser, but they don’t want to weaken their team.”
Boeser, who is in the final year of his three-year, $19.95 million deal and set to become an unrestricted free agent, reiterated his desire to stay in Vancouver while acknowledging his comfort with the prospect of testing free agency if an agreement isn’t reached.
“There are three options: trade, re-sign, or neither,” Boeser said. “If it comes to July 1 and I hit free agency, I’m still in a good position.”
With the Canucks currently holding a playoff spot (27-21-11 record) and occupying the second wild-card position, the team faces a tough decision: trade Boeser before March 7 or risk losing him in free agency without compensation if no deal is struck.
Leave a Reply