Is this Boeser's swan song with the Vancouver Canucks?

Brock Boeser played his first NHL game with the Vancouver Canucks nearly eight years ago, way back on March 25, 2017. That makes him the longest serving member of the team, but there’s a chance this could be his last season in Vancouver.

The 27-year-old winger is in the last year of his contract and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Canucks management didn’t seem to have an interest in committing to Boeser last summer, with Jim Rutherford indicating that the team would take a wait-and-see approach.

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported back in December that Boeser was seeking an eight-year deal worth over $8 million per season, which would be a raise on the $6.65 million the Minnesota native makes now. Contract talks were “pretty quiet,” according to Canucks insider Irfaan Gaffar.

With less than two months to go until the March 7 trade deadline, talks are still quiet regarding a new deal for Boeser, according to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal.

It begs the question: why?

Boeser is on pace for 32 goals this season, a drop from his 40-goal season a year ago, but would still rank as the second-best tally of his nine-year NHL career.

But there are question marks with Boeser. Can he stay healthy? Will his lack of foot-speed catch up with him as he enters his 30s?

Boeser has developed into an underrated two-way forward, but he turns 28 in February, and an eight-year contract would pay him until age 36.

For perspective, just three players aged 34 or older scored 30+ goals last year, and they’re all future Hall of Famers: Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Steven Stamkos.

The Canucks will have some leverage in negotiations up until the trade deadline, so you’d assume management will push forward a serious offer in the next two months.

If they can’t get Boeser signed to a new contract, would they explore trading him? If not, they risk losing him for nothing in free agency.

Vancouver could look to replace Boeser in free agency, as Mikko Rantanen, Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Sam Bennett are all scheduled to become UFAs. But that’s a risky move to make, as those players could re-sign with their current teams before July 1, and there’s no guarantee that they have a desire to sign with the Canucks. And it’s not like star players come cheap in unrestricted free agency.

This is why Patrik Allvin gets paid the big bucks, as the Canucks GM will soon need to make a call on his best goal-scoring winger.