Contract ensures a three-year deal with Vancouver team
By Atiba Nelson, Staff Reporter
Last Monday on September 16, the Vancouver Canucks re-signed forward Brock Boeser to a new three-year pact, ensuring the Minnesota native will be with the team through the 2021-2022 season.
In a press-release available on the Vancouver Canucks hockey club official website, general manger Jim Benning claims, “We’re very pleased to have Brock re-sign. He’s a talented player, a key contributor to our offence and an important part of our team’s future. We look forward to having Brock join the team in preparation for the upcoming season.”
The new contract is worth $17.625 million dollars over three years, or an average of $5,875 million dollars annually, and ends the training camp holdout for the restricted-free agent who returned to training camp two days after inking the new deal.
Boeser, 22, was drafted by the Canucks with the twenty-third overall selection in the 2015 NHL entry draft and has been with the team since 2017. After two productive, but injury-plagued seasons where he missed an games per season, the former NHL All-Star Game MVP signed a ‘bridge’ contract giving the team extra years to evaluate his performance, while giving Boeser a chance to sign a larger contract in his mid-twenties.
After being named as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in his rookie year, Boeser was the Canucks third leading points producer last season in only sixty-nine games played and has been a key contributor for the team.
The right-winger is expected to play on the Canucks first line centred by 2019 NHL Rookie of the year Elias Pettersson. Additionally, Boeser is slated to continue power play duties, as he was third in power play points per game last season despite missing thirteen games with back and groin injuries.
The deal highlights a busy summer for Canucks general manager Jim Benning, as the team signed fifteen contracts since the July 1st free agency period.
According to Spotrac, the Canucks currently have 27 players—17 forwards, eight defenseman, and two goaltenders—signed to contracts for a total monetary value of under $80 million dollars. At the time of writing this, the contract totals leave an estimated $4,158,127 in cap space to sign available free agents, while placing the team 19th in the NHL in total team salary. Now, the Canucks are placed 29th in total team salary with a negative cap space of – $1,716,873.
Most importantly, the scheduling of Boeser contract means the team will have the star player under a team-friendly contract when linemate and superstar Elias Pettersson, and Quinn Hughes become restricted-free agents.
