Canucks in wait-and-see mode for Boeser's next contract

It doesn’t sound like the Vancouver Canucks are in a rush to offer Brock Boeser a new contract.

The 27-year-old sniper is eligible to sign an extension beginning July 1, ahead of the final year of his current contract, which pays him $6.65 million annually.

But in an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford revealed that the team intends to wait into next season before making a decision on Boeser. Seems like Canucks management would like to see if Boeser can duplicate his scoring rate next season before making a commitment.

That’s an understandable position.

When his current deal expires, Boeser will be 28 years old and eligible to sign an eight-year extension. While Boeser is the only prominent player on Vancouver’s current roster scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, it’ll be interesting to see how much money he’ll ask for.

Boeser’s contract was seen as an anchor heading into last season. They offered him up in trades, but there were no takers around the league. He finished the 2022-23 season with just 18 goals in 74 games.

But Boeser flipped the script last season, scoring 40 goals and 73 points — both career highs. The Minnesota native followed that up with 12 points, including seven goals, in 12 playoff games.

Boeser produced offence while proving to be a responsible two-way winger, often playing big minutes alongside J.T. Miller against the opposing team’s top offensive players.

Can he do it again? If he can, the price will surely go up for the longest-tenured active Canucks player.

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