NHL insider gets blunt about Canucks re-signing Brock Boeser for $50.75M after trying trade for 2 years

When the Vancouver Canucks signed Brock Boeser to a seven-year, $50.75 million deal on Tuesday, NHL insider Bruce Boudreau was surprised while sharing his thoughts in Sunday's episode of TSN’s Overdrive.

“Was shocked like everybody else,” Boudreau said. “I mean, I think everybody was shocked, because they've been talking about for two years about trading him.”

Boudreau explained that during his time as Canucks head coach, the team told Boeser’s agent to explore trade options, but nothing happened. Even at the 2024 trade deadline, they didn’t receive any strong offers.

“I know, when I was there, they had asked the agent, even they said, ‘Hey listen, if you can make a trade or facilitate a trade with Brock, go ahead and do it,’” he added.

Boudreau also said he wasn’t sure if Brock Boeser came back because of his connection to the city or because he didn’t get strong offers elsewhere. He said:

“So I don't know whether it was Brock's love for Vancouver that made him want to bring him back, or whether he didn't get his agent, didn't get the offers that he thought he would be getting somewhere else and decided to come back to Vancouver.”

Boeser had 25 goals and 25 assists last season. Though his production dropped from the 40-goal, 73-point year before, the Canucks decided to re-sign him. Boudreau said this might be because the team didn’t want to lose a strong scorer for nothing.

“When you look at what they've lost as offensive scoring power in the last couple of years, it's hard to lose a potential 40 goal scorer and not get anything back in return,” he said.

He added:

“So I’m glad he came back. I hope he has a great year, but pretty surprised that it happened.”

Brock Boeser has played all 554 of his NHL games with Vancouver. The new deal keeps him with the Canucks through the 2031–32 season.

Brock Boeser shared thoughts after signing contract extension with Canucks

Brock Boeser is happy to stay with the team that drafted him in 2015. Speaking on the Canucks Insider podcast, Boeser revealed the reason behind signing a new seven-year deal with Vancouver.

“Looking at the goalies, D, some of the forwards we have locked up, I really like our pieces,” Boeser said, via NHL.com. “I think we’re going to be competitive.”

Boeser's belief in the team's potential to win the Stanley Cup was a big reason for staying.