Canucks' Brock Boeser Listed As "Intriguing" Trade Candidate

After breaking through with a 40-goal season last year, impending unrestricted free agent Brock Boeser is wrapping up his three-year, $6.65 million contract this season. From recent contracts handed out around the league, it appears that the 27-year-old is looking for an eight-year deal worth "north" of the $8 million AAV mark.

Due to the fact that the Canucks are "not yet prepared to pay him what his projected value is", per insider Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, he lists him as an "intriguing" trade candidate this season.

If no contract extension is on the way, the idea of losing him for nothing in free agency isn't all that appealing either. Canucks management isn't one to sit around and have been rather busy traders in recent seasons. Until an extension is signed, Boeser will be a trade candidate to watch this season.

As last year's 40-goal explosion was a big aberration for the usual 20+ goal scorer during his nine-year career, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford made it clear that the team wants to see Boeser repeat that breakout performance again before going the distance in extension talks.

This season, he has seven goals and 18 points in 20 games with 17:47 ice time per night, down close to a minute from last year's average. His pace would leave him just a shade under 30 goals in a full season.

There are certainly plenty of teams that would be interested in landing that kind of offensive help as we approach the trade deadline if the Canucks decide to move on.

The right winger reaches a milestone Thursday night, as he will appear in his 500th NHL game. He's recorded 186 goals and 216 assists for 402 points in his first 499 contests.