There has been a good deal of NHL chatter surrounding a Brock Boeser trade. What’s the best course of action for the Vancouver Canucks?

The Vancouver Canucks remain in a tricky spot with Brock Boeser as contract negotiations have been ongoing, but it doesn’t sound like the two sides are close.

The 27-year-old Boeser is in the final year of his three-year deal, which carries a $6.65-million cap hit. As a pending UFA in a market where the salary cap will jump significantly, he is second on the team in goals with 18. He led the Canucks in goals last season with 40, and his proven ability to put the puck in the net has value across the league.

As Darren Dreger of TSN phrased it, “Brock Boeser is going to command a high dollar… probably more than the Canucks are going to want to spend.”

According to Rick Dhaliwal, Boeser has been waiting seven months for a new deal. And, making matters slightly more uncomfortable, the Canucks recently traded for and immediately signed defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a long-term contract. Dhaliwal believed this was a bit of a slap in the face and demonstrated the team’s lack of urgency regarding Boeser’s future.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin touched on the Boeser situation during his midseason press conference. “We’re still evaluating him. I have a great relationship with his agent, and when the time is right, we’ll make the decision,” he explained. “There’s two sides of it too. It’s got to work for both sides long term. Anything can happen here, I guess, any day.”

Frankly, the Canucks have had several chances to extend Boeser but have always pushed his talks to the side, choosing to wait and see. At what point does that no longer become an option?

Are the Canucks Hinting That a Boeser Trade Is More Likely?

Satiar Shah, a Canucks Central and game day host on Sportsnet was among many analysts who suggested a trade might be the direction both sides go. This will especially be true if the Canucks fall out of the playoff race. They currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, with little time to make up their minds.

If the team leads toward a trade, Boeser should fetch a solid return. So too, Shah wrote that the Canucks know what they want. He noted: “Canucks now focused on acquiring an impact forward. Preference is a player in the mid 20s age range that can grow with the core. The main asset they now have is cap space to take on a contract plus their own assets they didn’t have to use to acquire a top 4D. Act three awaits.”

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced the salary cap will be rising over the next three seasons, going from $95 million to $113 million in year three. That means the Canucks can afford the cost of Boeser’s extension. However, it seems like the organization has a number in mind and the concern is that the market will exceed what they’re comfortable with.

If the Canucks have to pay Brock Boeser in the $8-9 million range, do they say, “No thank you?” The challenge here is that no one really knows what the new market means in terms of dollars for high-end scorers. They’ll know when the market opens, but by then, it could be too late. The Canucks probably shouldn’t let Boeser walk into free agency. The drama surrounding the team and their lack of urgency with respect to his contract may have opened the door to him exploring other options.

Uncertainty would suggest the more prudent decision is to get whatever assets you can. Otherwise, buck up and pay Boeser, potentially setting a market for former 40-goal forwards.