Canucks give Boeser’s agent permission to seek a trade: report

At least for one game, Brock Boeser found his mojo back with the Vancouver Canucks.

During last night’s 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes, the struggling Boeser was originally set to be a healthy scratch before a late injury to Dakota Joshua opened up a lineup spot.

After starting the season with no goals (but nine assists) in his first 11 games, Boeser now has four goals and two assists in his last eight games, including a second period marker on Saturday to tie the game at two goals apiece.

But despite there’s rumblings that Boeser might be headed away from the Canucks, should he get his way.

As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman during Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Boeser’s agent Ben Hankinson has “permission to talk to other teams” about a possible trade.

“The teams aren’t commenting, and his representatives aren’t commenting, but from what we understand, Boeser’s representatives have been given permission to talk to other teams about a potential move,” Friedman said. “Boeser’s been struggling and he’s got to play better, but I think maybe there’s coming to a realization here that maybe it’s time to explore this.”

While Boeser wouldn’t comment on the trade rumours, he did tell reporters about the rumoured healthy scratch.

“It hurt hard and it hurt bad,” he said. “And so when I got the call [to play], it was a moment. Everything happens for a reason. I knew I needed to make the most of it.”

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It’s been a trying year for the 25-year-old forward, who  has four goals and 11 assists in 19 games this season. He’s taken just 41 shots in an average of 14:56 of ice time this season, with his struggles compounded by a Vancouver team that still sits three points out of the final wild card spot.

“Sometimes, I mean, tough love is tough love,” Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said yesterday morning about his since-changed plan to sit Boeser on Saturday. “I know he’s capable of being much better. We want to win and we need him, I think, over the long haul to win. But we need to be better. It could have been one of a few guys.

Boeser had told media prior to the season of his intentions to score 30 goals, with a previous career high of 29 set in 62 games in the 2017-18 season, though he’s on pace for

Boeser, a 2015 first round draft pick by Vancouver, signed a three-year deal with the Canucks this past July, worth $6.65 million per season through 2025.