Boeser's salary likely makes him the odd man out for Canucks

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

The Welcome Matt can be heard weekdays on Sekeres and Price. Stream the live show at SekeresAndPrice.com Monday to Friday, or download the latest podcast.

If the insiders are to be believed, it appears that Brock Boeser is down to his final games as a Vancouver Canuck.

It makes sense if Jim Rutherford’s priorities are to clear cap space and add a young defenceman.

Because you’ve got to give to get, and Boeser is just not giving this team what it needs given the salary he is making now, and what he stands to get.

To wit, Saturday, a goal and an assist. But a bad turnover that leads to an opponent’s goal needed that pick-me-up from J.T. Miller on the bench.

Currently sobbing at jt miller comforting brock boeser pic.twitter.com/71ctQ4DXIh

— sydney (@simpforquinn) March 6, 2022

Boeser’s a good player, he’s just not a great player.

So when Rick Dhaliwal said on Sekeres and Price he doesn’t think the Canucks would qualify Boeser at $7.5 million, I think that’s tantamount to saying: ‘he’s the odd man out.’

That the franchise has had its internal debate and decided that trading Miller before this deadline might risk too much goodwill for this new management team with the fan base and a coaching staff that isn’t fully guaranteed next season.

Not to mention the players, who are speaking with their actions, and behaving like they’re still in this thing.

Now Boeser would be a loss too, but doesn’t necessarily weaken the club depending on who comes back.

That’s to the extent Rutherford is going to pay mind to this year’s playoff chase. He may not.

But it’s two weeks to the NHL trade deadline, and the Canucks have not yet had meaningful discussions with the Boeser camp.

So what does that tell you?

Maybe they plan to present a freeze offer closer to the deadline, a take-it-or-leave-it club friendly extension at their term and their number.

Either Boeser agrees or they make a trade, or maybe they just don’t think his relative lack of pace will hold up in an ever-quickening league.

But right now, Boeser is on a 53-point point pace and needs a big final 25 games if he’s going to earn $7.5 million or the longer-term extension.

There’s a lot of unknown with him, there’s a lot more known with Miller.

And I think that wins the day.

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