Vancouver Canucks GM Allvin explains why he refused to trade Boeser
The trade market around the league seemed to be hot on deadline day for everyone except the Vancouver Canucks.
General Manager Patrik Allvin explained that while players around the NHL were fetching outsized returns, the same market did not exist for his guys. That includes pending free agent Brock Boeser, with whom the Canucks have not been able to agree on an extension.
“It definitely was an interesting market in some of the moves. The biggest reason I felt that we didn’t do any moves here today was that there was not a whole lot of market return on our players, unfortunately,” said Allvin as he explained his team’s inactivity.
Depth forwards like Anthony Beauvillier were fetching second-round picks. Veteran defenceman Luke Schenn got two mid-round picks. The market was hot, yet the Canucks didn’t move off any of their pending free agents, apparently because there was not enough interest.
“Some of the players that were dealt, they have certain playoff experience. Some of the players have performed well in bigger games, and I think that’s what some of the teams were looking for.”
The most befuddling decision of all was holding onto Boeser. The Canucks have not been willing to hand out the term he’s looking for on an extension, and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.
After Mikko Rantanen was moved, Boeser was the best available winger on the trade market. He’s scored in big games before and led the Canucks in last year’s playoffs with seven goals and 12 points in 12 games.
Despite all that, Allvin made it very clear that there was no market for the goal-scoring winger.
“If I told you what I was offered for Brock Boeser, I think I would have to run out of here because you would not believe me.”
Extension talks between the two sides will pick back up, but unless one budges significantly, there’s no easy solution on the horizon.
The Canucks did make one trade leading up to the deadline, as they sent Carson Soucy to the New York Rangers for a third-round pick. That deal was made because of the improvement in the organization’s younger defencemen.
“We felt the competition that we have created here was not a guarantee to have Carson in the lineup every day,” said Allvin.
The Canucks have 21 games left to secure a playoff spot. If they don’t make it to the postseason, this deadline could go down as a huge mistake.