Brock Boeser heads into tonight's rematch with the Oilers needing goals, and the Canucks winger's trade value is riding on them.
Nick Kypreos put it bluntly on Sportsnet, saying Boeser may be in the most difficult predicament of anyone in Vancouver.
The path is simple, and brutal. Score, rebuild the trade stock, and position himself as a candidate before the March deadline.
The numbers explain the urgency. Boeser finished last season a -48, a staggering rating for any forward.
He still produced 22 goals in 75 games.
Two seasons earlier, he hit 40 goals and 73 points. That's the version buyers want to see again.
A $7,250,000 cap hit makes his October audition urgent
The money is the other problem. Boeser carries a $7,250,000 cap hit, and contenders want real value at that price.
He opened the season with a power-play assist in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win in Edmonton. A start, but not the kind that moves the needle.
Manny Malhotra's group has a busy stretch ahead. After the Oilers, the Canucks host Calgary and Vegas in a Saturday and Sunday back-to-back.
Then comes a six-game road trip through Carolina, New Jersey, both New York clubs, Florida and Tampa Bay. Scouts will get plenty of looks.
If he gets hot in October, the Canucks should sell right then. Waiting for March is how an expensive winger turns into a rental nobody wants.
Rebuilding trade value is like selling a house after a bad inspection. You need a few fresh coats of paint before anyone makes an offer.
He's 29, and all 483 of his career points came in a Canucks sweater. Leaving would close a long chapter in Vancouver.
Kypreos gave him until March. The goal column over the next month will decide whether he gets that long.
Should the Canucks trade Brock Boeser before the end of October?
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