The Vancouver Canucks have endured a whirlwind of a season to date as they sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 20-26-3 record and 43 points. On top of the poor record, the Canucks have been under fire regarding the handling of head coach Bruce Boudreau and team captain Bo Horvat who was traded last week. Horvat kicked off the fire sale this team is about to undergo as the March 3rd trade deadline is now less than a month away.
Horvat was not the only Canuck that has garnered interest over the last few weeks as the list seems to grow by the day, with Luke Schenn, Conor Garland, Thatcher Demko, and Brock Boser as the top four names highlighting the list. The Canucks have already shown that they will not wait till the deadline to pull the trigger on a trade if the price is right.
Here are a few teams to consider for Boeser as trade talks continue following All-Star weekend:
New Jersey Devils
The Devils will be very active as the March 3rd trade deadline approaches as they are looking to add a player with term on their deal that they can plug and play into their top-six. After GM Tom Fitzgerald failed to acquire a scoring winger at the NHL draft, he will now have a second chance to make the much-needed addition. Boeser is a prime candidate, as the young winger could benefit from the change of scenery.
Even though he is having a down year compared to his standards, at 25 years old, he still hasn’t even entered his prime and already has four 20-goal campaigns in his career.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have been quiet as of late while everyone around them has been in the thick of it. The New York Islanders acquired Bo Horvat, putting pressure on Penguins general manager Ron Hextall to add to his roster. Between the need to win now due to the Pens aging core and several players having disappointing seasons, expect a trade to come soon. The Canucks are a perfect trade partner as the Canucks management team knows the Pens organization to a tee.
The Penguins have loads of cap space moving forward to fit Boeser and his long-term $6.6 million annual salary. Inserting Boeser into the top six alongside either Malkin or Crosby should ignite the 25-year-old and get him back to being a 20-plus goal scorer.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals have a handful of needs heading toward the March 3rd trade deadline, with a defenseman and a top-six forward headlining the list. Bock Boeser could be an interesting fit and would check some boxes for Washington. The Capitals have the players to get the deal done, as they have several young players who have either started to appear in NHL action or are getting very close to being called up. These are the type of players the Canucks are targeting in trades as they want to re-tool and not rebuild. Keep an eye on the Caps, they’ll be involved in the sweepstakes these next few weeks.
