The NHL trade deadline is just over a month away, and one name that the Canucks could soon trade is Brock Boeser of Burnsville, Minnesota. A move by Oilers general manger Stan Bowman could make hockey sense and financial sense.
Why would this move make financial sense?
Two players that are underperforming for the Oilers this season are wingers Trent Frederic of St. Louis, Missouri and Andrew Mangiapane of Toronto, Ontario, If the Oilers were to find a way to move Frederic and Mangiapane, and acquire Boeser, they would actually save $200,000 according to Jackson Weber of nhltradetalk.com. The problem is that Boeser makes $7.45 million, while Frederic and Mangiapane make a combined $7.25 million. The Oilers would still need to give money to a player to fill an empty roster spot. It would be very likely that would exceed $200,000.
Why would this trade make hockey sense?
Boeser could be the top nine forward the Oilers are looking for. Edmonton is actually seeking a top six forward that can play alongside Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. The forward would not be a regular on the first power-play, but would give the Oilers some much needed forward depth when playing even strength. Remember, the Oilers have an outstanding power-play, the best in the entire NHL. However, there is a definite room for improvement when the Oilers have the same number of players on the ice as their opponent.
Trade may not happen immediately
The reason why you may not see Boeser go to the Oilers before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo is because he is dealing with an injury. Boeser suffered a concussion after receiving a hit to the head from Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 3-2 Canucks loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. As a result, Rust was suspended three games. When it comes to concussions, you simply do not know how long a player will be on the sidelines.
Boeser in 2025-26
Boeser had 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 50 games. He has 114 shots on goal, six penalty minutes, nine power-play points, two game-winning goals, 50 faceoff wins, 20 blocked shots, 30 hits, eight takeaways and 35 giveaways.
Why the trade may not happen
Boeser has shown great discipline for the Canucks this season with only three minor penalties taken. However, it is Boeser’s defensive struggles that may not send him to an elite NHL team. He is a -30 this season and is a -55 over the last two seasons. The Canucks are rebuilding. They have already traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks and Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.
