NHL trade rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Brock Boeser
The last NHL trade rumors have Brock Boeser available. These five teams make the most sense for him.
On Friday night, the NHL world got surprised by some NHL trade rumors. The Vancouver Canucks are reportedly open to trading their star forward Brock Boeser. If he’s on the market, he’ll probably be the best scoring forward available. And with an average annual value of below $6 million for the next two seasons, Boeser’s a good bargain.
The stagnant salary cap is going to limit the number of potential suitors. However, Boeser’s one of the best scorers in the league. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, he ranks 39th in the NHL in goals per game out of 425 forwards (minimum 80 games played). This puts him in the 90th percentile. He also ranks 51st in points per game, which puts him above the 85th percentile.
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Though Boeser’s suitors are likely going to be limited, it’s still going to require quite a haul to get him. One would think the Canucks are going to ask for a controllable top-four defenseman in return because that’s their biggest weakness. Draft picks are likely going to be involved as well.
So which teams are in the best position to make a move for Boeser? Let’s look at the five most likely suitors for the long-haired superstar.
Honorable Mention
The Montreal Canadiens probably don’t have any defensemen the Canucks would be overly interested in. Considering what happened with Roberto Luongo’s recapture penalty, there’s no way in heck the Canucks are taking on Shea Weber’s deal. But if they’re willing to look at packages built around draft capital and prospects, the Canadiens could offer a tempting trade.
5. New York Islanders
The New York Islanders need to add some scoring. It’s as simple as that. Mathew Barzal is an RFA and is likely going to get a huge deal, so that’s going to make things a little bit difficult. However, I think there’s a hockey trade that could be made between the two teams.
This trade would make quite a bit of sense financially for both sides once you consider Pulock’s an RFA who’s due a fairly substantial raise. The Canucks would get a top-four defenseman in Pulock and a promising forward prospect in Bellows. Plus they’d also get a second-round pick, which would help them recoup some of the draft capital they’ve lost in the last 13 months.
That said, this trade is still a longshot. The Islanders would have to clear even more cap space for this to make sense. But Boeser would be such a great fit for the Islanders next to Barzal, I think they have to consider it.
4. New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are probably going to look to improve their blueline this summer. However, they’d be wise to see if the price for Brock Boeser is reasonable enough to make him worth acquiring. The Devils need to give Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes better wings. Boeser would be a significant upgrade.
This trade is a bit more creative than the others because the Devils have a ton of cap space, which means they could do the Canucks a huge favor that might lower the asking price.
Obviously, this trade would be dependent on Loui Eriksson accepting a trade. He has a no-movement clause, so he is under no obligation to go anywhere. But Eriksson might be happier in New Jersey than he would be in the AHL with the Utica Comets.
Getting rid of Eriksson’s contract would be huge for the Canucks. It would allow them to re-sign their key guys and probably re-sign Tyler Toffoli as well. And even with Eriksson in the trade, the Canucks would still get a quality top-four defenseman. Plus, they’d get the pick they gave up for J.T. Miller back because hockey’s weird!
This return might seem underwhelming. But keep in mind, the stagnant salary cap is going to hurt a lot of teams. Teams who have a lot of cap space like the Devils could have a significant advantage this offseason if they play their cards right.
3. Colorado Avalanche
Speaking of teams with a ton of cap space, the Colorado Avalanche could be the most fascinating team in the NHL this offseason. They’re a Stanley Cup contender who has the room to add quite a bit to their roster.
This trade will assume the Avalanche don’t take on Eriksson’s contract. It’s a bit too rich even for a team loaded with cap space like the Avs. However, they could still take on another bad deal and lower the asking price for Boeser.
Samuel Girard’s new seven-year deal hasn’t started yet, but with a $5 million AAV, he’ll be a pretty good bargain considering he’s unquestionably a top-four defenseman. Martin Kaut has had some success in the NHL and would give the Canucks a potential top-nine forward. Girard’s under contract for seven years, so that’s why the Avalanche are giving up a second-round pick in this scenario instead of a first-rounder.
Boeser would be an excellent fit with the Canucks. He’d give them one of the best top six forward groups in the NHL. Boeser plays with pace and he can score goals. Put him with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, and he could be a 40 goal scorer.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have a plethora of defensemen. So naturally, they’re in a good position to give the Vancouver Canucks what they need.
However, I wonder if the Hurricanes would be interested in giving up a defenseman with the Seattle expansion draft coming. Do they basically want to assure themselves of losing two quality defensemen when they could just give up one?
This is the kind of package I think the Hurricanes would be willing to do.
Jake Bean is the centerpiece of this deal. If the Hurricanes didn’t have such a huge surplus of defensemen, he’d be a full-time NHLer right now. Bean has had a lot of success everywhere he has gone. He’d step right into the Canucks lineup and help the Canucks add a young, dynamic piece to their blueline.
Nino Niederreiter is included to make the finances work, but he’s far from a salary dump. He’s capable of playing at either left-wing or right-wing and is a very underrated two-way forward. Niederreiter has been a bit inconsistent as far as production, but the good he does almost always outweighs the bad.
Boeser would be lethal with the Hurricanes. He’d give them yet another impressive goal scorer. More importantly, Boeser shoots right-handed. It’s not a secret the Hurricanes have been looking to add a right-handed shot for a long time.
1. Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers probably make the most sense for Brock Boeser. They’d love to get another top-six forward and they have the assets to create a plethora of packages for Boeser.
That said, their cap space situation is a little concerning, so they’d need to clear some salary to make room for Boeser. Luckily, the Flyers have a very interesting defenseman I’m sure the Canucks would be interested in.
Shayne Gostibehere is the victim of a numbers game in Philadelphia. But with the Canucks, he’d fill a huge hole on the left side behind Quinn Hughes. Gostisbehere would ease the pressure on veteran defenseman Alexander Edler and eventually replace him. It’s worth noting Gostisbehere can also play on the right side if needed.
With Boeser on board, the Flyers would be set for the next two years. It would be a bit of an all-in move, especially with the cap being uncertain at best. But the Flyers would have a lethal offense and a good enough defense to challenge for a Stanley Cup.