VANCOUVER – After a rough year, Brock Boeser has committed to staying with the Vancouver Canucks.
The club announced on Friday that it had signed the 25-year-old right winger to a three-year contract worth US$6.65 million per season.
The deal means Boeser, a restricted free agent, and the Canucks will avoid arbitration.
“We wanted to keep Brock. Brock is a big part of this franchise moving forward,” Canucks general manager Patrick Alvin told reporters in a video call on Friday.
Boeser, who hails from Burnsville, Minnesota, had 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) in 71 games last season.
He told reporters late in the campaign that he had been struggling with the failing health of his father, Duke, who died in late May after a long battle with cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
“He obviously went through a really tough time last year and we believe he’s capable of being a better player going forward,” Alvin said.
The 6-foot, 208-pound Boeser played in 324 regular-season games for Vancouver, scoring 256 points (121 goals, 135 assists) and 88 penalty minutes.
The Canucks selected him 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the top NHL rookie in 2018.
Boeser signed a three-year deal with an average annual value of $5.875 million per year in 2019 and received a qualifying offer of $7.5 million to begin negotiations on his latest deal.
The Canucks, who finished last season five points shy of the playoffs with a 40-30-12 record, have asked the players to help the club create a cap as they push to be competitive going forward, Alvin said.
Boeser’s deal speaks volumes for the hitter, the GM added.
“It shows that Brock wants to be a big part of the Vancouver Canucks going forward,” Alvin said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 1, 2022.
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