It’s hard to win Rookie of the Year from the press box.
Rookie Brock Boeser will be a healthy scratch for the Canucks’ first game of the season tonight, against the Edmonton Oilers. Fans are not pleased.
You can understand why.
No player on the roster represents hope for the future more than Boeser, with dreams of a Calder Trophy dancing in the minds of Canucks fans.
Fans want a youth movement, and want to see young players play. They were displeased all week when it appeared like Jake Virtanen may sit on opening night. They’re downright furious after news hit on Saturday morning that Boeser will sit.
Head coach Travis Green did his best to explain the decision after practice on Saturday.
“He’s going to play, he’s going to get his chance,” Green said. “It’s just one game, we’ve set our lineup to put against a real good Edmonton team.”
Green has said that he will change his lineup based on the opponent, so perhaps these kinds of moves are something we should get used to. If there is any player that you want to game-plan against, it’s Connor McDavid.
If it helps the team win, then a lot will be forgiven, and Green isn’t the first coach to sit a rookie on opening night. Problem is, many people feel like Boeser helps Vancouver’s chances to win games right now. Certainly more than say, a player like Derek Dorsett.
“[Boeser’s] going to get his chance, it’s not like he’s going to sit here for a month,” Green said, adding that there’s no guarantee Boeser will play in the second game of the season against Ottawa on Tuesday.
But to sit the golden boy Boeser, after he lead the team in scoring throughout preseason is a tough pill to swallow.
Take it away, Canucks fans:
Me excited to watch Brock Boeser play tonight vs me finding out he's out of the lineup. pic.twitter.com/bV4ggPVHLU
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) October 7, 2017
The only positive story anyone in the media has been suggesting about the Canucks is that Boeser might challenge for the Calder.
— Beantown Canuck (@BeantownCanuck) October 7, 2017
Willing to bet at least half the people who bought tickets to tonight's Canucks game did it specifically to see Brock Boeser. #CanucksHockey
— Andy Cole (@AndyCole84) October 7, 2017
Heaven forbid the #canucks sit Burmistrov. No no no let's bench Boeser, arguably the team's best prospect and only real sniper on the team.
— š (@jammyrft) October 7, 2017
Thanks #Canucks I have not been this angry about BC since Christy Clark was premier. #Boeser
— Bryan McCann (@McCanopener1) October 7, 2017
Lol ultimate troll job by Greener, fans want Virtanen, fine, we will scratch Boeser instead lmao
— Charlie Conway (@CConway96) October 7, 2017
All the idiots whining about Jake not playing got their wish….Boeser is sitting out. LMAO how can Dorsett play over Boeser?
— Coop (@1Cooop) October 7, 2017
@canucks I wanted to go the game tonight and buy tickets. Not anymore after the Brock Boeser benching. Forget it. #canucks #freeboeser
— Aninda Datta (@The_Datta) October 7, 2017
Boeser not in the lineup makes the team worse. Isnāt that what we want?! #firstoveralldraftpick
— Derek Wong (@OTCards) October 7, 2017
Dorsett has done nothing since joining the #Canucks to deserve to play tonight over Boeser.
— Jovan Heer (@DJHeerMusic) October 7, 2017
imagine having a calder trophy potential player like boeser, who makes fans excited & want to watch & go to games, & you dont play him š
— Yasmin (@datsyukdangles) October 7, 2017