Brock Boeser expressed frustration about the lack of progress on a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks as the March 7 trade deadline approaches.
“I mean, I understand it’s a business,” he told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. “I feel like I’m a pretty loyal guy, and I feel like that should speak for itself. But it’s a business, and that’s just how things operate.”
“We all know the three options that could happen: trade, re-sign, or neither. If nothing happens and July 1 comes around, I still think I’m in a good spot (as a UFA). … (I’ve) definitely been open about, you know, how much I love it in Vancouver. So, yeah, it’s actually frustrating that nothing’s got done.”
The pending unrestricted free agent is in the final year of his three-year contract with a $6.65-million cap hit. His current deal includes a 10-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia.
Boeser acknowledged in January that Vancouver might see him as an “easy guy” to trade during the team’s difficult season.
The Canucks have struggled this year after a strong 2023-24 campaign.
They currently sit one point behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 26-20-11 record.
“I would have never guessed the year would have gone how it’s gone after last year. … It’s been a lot,” Boeser said.
The 28-year-old forward has spent his entire NHL career with Vancouver after being selected 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Boeser leads the Canucks with 193 goals and ranks third on the team with 414 points in 520 games since 2017-18.
Last season, he became the first Canucks player to score 40 goals in a single season since Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler accomplished the feat in 2010-11.
This season has been more challenging for Boeser. He’s recorded 18 goals and 35 points in 50 games, with just four goals and six assists in 21 games since January 1.
Despite the contract uncertainty, Boeser remains focused on his on-ice performance.
“I feel I can score more and produce more and maybe be a difference-maker out there,” he said. “So I’m really just trying to focus on helping our team win hockey games right now.”
“I thought we were really playing some good hockey before the (4 Nations) break. I know the goals haven’t come. But I truly feel that our defensive game has been the best it’s been all year, and if we start getting the scoring, then we can win some games in a row.”
