By Luke Sims -
Brock Boeser would look so sick in Forest Green, wouldn’t he?
Two years ago, I wrote a piece outlining why the Wild should bring the Burnsville native back to the State of Hockey. Ultimately, Minnesota traded for Gustav Nyquist and Marcus Johansson instead.
However, this year is different. This is the year when the pieces fall into place. The year Boeser starts scoring goals for a Minnesota team again.
I also recently wrote an article about how the Wild have no cap space or assets they should move at this year’s trade deadline.
Throw that to the wind. This is Brock Boeser we are talking about! A soon-to-be 28-year-old right-handed goal-scoring maniac. Boeser is on pace for 30 goals this season after potting 40 the year prior. He’s got 35 points through 48 games this season on a Vancouver Canucks team starving for offense.
Boeser would complement Minnesota’s group of current and future forwards exceptionally well. With the cap rising and the Wild getting roughly $14 million in relief from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyout penalties off the books, an extension looks increasingly more possible.
Minnesota also desperately needs a reliable right-shot power play option. Boeser is an anchor on Vancouver’s power play and would give the Wild a huge boost in power play production and the guys-who-are-righties department.
This is not fanboy hearsay, either.
The odds of Boeser sticking around in Vancouver are becoming bleak. The Canucks have already traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers. Their other star center, Elias Petteson, could be on the move. There’s a ton of dysfunction and disarray surrounding the team in Vancouver at the moment, and the Wild should take advantage.
Vancouver recently agreed to a five-year, $22.5 million deal with goaltender Kevin Lankinen. They recently extended their trade deadline acquisition, Marcus Petterson, for six years, $33 million.
The Canucks seem to be locking up the players they want in their future. Yet, they haven’t extended Boeser.
The Wild are also in a unique situation: They have limited assets and draft capital this season, but they have the second-best prospect pool in the NHL. Therefore, they can start moving prospects for players ready to contribute immediately.
Kirill Kaprizov’s injury could also keep him out longer than the Wild’s team doctors initially expected. Maybe, just maybe, tell the start of the NHL playoffs.
The Wild could take a page from the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup-winning playbook and put Kaprizov and his $9 million contract on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Then, they could activate him once the playoffs begin, where his cap hit won’t count against the cap. Besides, Minnesota would be wise to allow Kapriov’s lingering injury to heal before the playoffs.
A potential trade could look something like this:
To Minnesota: Brock Boeser, 2026 sixth-round pick
To Vancouver: Liam Ohgren, 2026 second-rounder, Ryan O’Rourke, Marcus Johansson, 2025 fifth
In Ohgren, the Canucks get a similar player to Boeser, a solid draft pick, and a veteran player they can flip for more at the deadline. They also get a rugged prospect who could play NHL games soon and needs a change of scenery and an additional fifth to sweeten the pot.
Trading for Boeser would deplete Minnesota’s roster, and losing Ohgren hurts, especially with no guarantee that Boeser would re-sign. Letting go of Ohgren at such a young age and with so much potential is hard. However, if you want to bring in a player like Boeser in his prime with no first-round pick, it will cost you. Wheeler ranked Ohgren as the Wild’s fifth-best prospect.
For comparison, Tyler Toffoli has bounced around the league but is a similar scoring forward to Boeser. Various trades with similar assets to what I just proposed worked for the teams that traded Toffoli in years past.
The Montreal Canadiens traded Toffoli to the Calgary Flames for a conditional first-rounder and a mid-level prospect in 2022. I’d argue the package I’ve presented is better for a slightly better player.
The Canucks may demand more for Boeser. In that case, the Wild could upgrade the 2026 second-rounder to a first. However, they’d have to be sure they will re-sign Boeser to get fair value. Otherwise, I'd probably decline the trade if the price is much more than I proposed. Maybe give up a prospect like David Spacek or Carson Lambos instead of or in addition to O’Rourke, but that’s it.
Still, look at Minnesota’s lines with Boeser:
Boeser - Marco Rossi - Kirill
Matt Boldy - Joel Eriksson Ek - Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Foligno - Ryan Hartman - Yakov Trenin
Vinnie Hinostroza - Marat Khusnutdinov - Jakub Lauko
If seeing No. 6 Boeser jerseys inserted into that lineup doesn’t make you want to grab a seat at the Xcel Energy Center to cheer on this team in the playoffs, then I don’t know what will.
It’s time. Bill, pick up the phone.
Bring Brock home.
All stats and data via Evolving Hockey, Hockey DB, and CapWages unless otherwise noted.
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