In a shocking twist only 30 minutes into the 2025 NHL Free Agency period, Brock Boeser signed a seven-year, $7.25M AAV contract with the Vancouver Canucks. His signing came after a tumultuous season of uncertainty regarding his fate. Many thought he would be traded at the Trade Deadline, while signs leading up to free agency implied that he would be moving on from the team. With his signing, Boeser will extend his streak as the Canucks’ longest-tenured active skater.
The Canucks came into the 2015 NHL Draft with the 23rd selection in the first round. While some players were obvious selections (Connor McDavid), realistically, the talent pool provided by this draft class meant that nearly any pick would be profitable. At the time, only three of twelve prospect draft rankings had Boeser going higher than 23rd overall. The general consensus seemed to be that he would not be picked higher than 25th. With that being said, it wasn’t shocking when former Canucks General Manager Jim Benning decided to select Boeser 23rd overall.
Boeser’s addition to Vancouver’s prospect pool was a bright sign, as some of the only other names in the Canucks’ ranks were Jake Virtanen, Jared McCann, and Hunter Shinkaruk — with only one of these three still playing in the NHL. He was given the expectation of 30-goal scorer in the NHL early on and nearly broke this milestone in his first full season.
On March 25, 2017, Boeser signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks, making his NHL debut the same day against his hometown Minnesota Wild. In the same game, he scored his first NHL goal. By the end of his first nine games in 2017, he scored four goals on 25 shots and added one assist. For an early campaign, Boeser’s four goals left fans very optimistic about the upcoming season.
Boeser’s first full season with the Canucks was one to remember. It seemed as though he was shot out of a cannon to start the season, as he scored two goals and three assists in his first four games. It only took him 10 games to get his first hat trick of the season, and the first of his NHL career, which he scored against Matt Murray and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Within the first 10 games of his rookie season, Boeser had five goals and eight assists.
“The most natural goal scorer I’ve ever played with,” former Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said of Boeser back in 2017.
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An array of goal-scoring streaks, impressive play, and a Rookie of the Month title in November earned Boeser a nod to the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. There, he won the accuracy shooting event, beating out players such as Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand, and Steven Stamkos, and took home the award for MVP of the game.
Despite playing at a near 40-goal pace in his rookie season, injuries sidelined Boeser for 20 of the team’s games. He finished the year with 29 goals and 26 assists in 62 games played, putting him fifth in points among all rookies that season. Boeser finished second in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy to Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders.
The start of Boeser’s career in Vancouver was certainly memorable, and with his re-signing, he’ll add even more goals on top of the 204 he has already scored as a member of the Canucks.
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