Canucks winger Brock Boeser won’t have his offseason training routine interrupted by the blood clotting issue that kept him out of their second-round Game 7 loss to the Oilers, he said during today’s end-of-season media availability (via Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650). All indications point to him being ready for the beginning of training camp in the fall.
That’s because Boeser’s clot had a clear root cause – a shot he blocked during Game 1 of the Edmonton series, he disclosed. He didn’t notice bruising or pain until roughly a week after the game and went for scans after their Game 6 loss that showed enough clotting to prevent him from suiting up.
While a handful of important Canucks players could be moving on this summer in free agency, Boeser won’t be one of them. He’ll be back in B.C. as he completes the final season of a three-year, $19.95MM extension signed by GM of the Year finalist Patrik Allvin back in July 2022.
Boeser’s resurgence to his early-career form was one of the bigger reasons Vancouver captured its first division title since 2013. He set career-highs across the board with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games but is an unlikely bet to repeat that production after shooting 5.8% above his career average in the regular season.
Here’s more on the Canucks:
- Star center Elias Pettersson offered an explanation today for his underwhelming play down the stretch and in the postseason, telling reporters he’s been playing through a knee injury since January (via Thomas Drance of The Athletic). Pettersson, whose point production dropped from 102 last season to 89 this year, won’t require surgery to address the issue but will need to rest and rehab the injury before beginning offseason training. The 2017 fifth-overall pick signed an eight-year, $92.8MM extension shortly before the trade deadline that carries an $11.6MM cap hit beginning next season.
- The injury to backup Casey DeSmith in Game 3 of the first round against the Predators that forced third-stringer Arturs Silovs into action for Game 4 was a minor groin issue, DeSmith said today (via Batchelor). DeSmith, who had a .911 SV% and 2.02 GAA in two appearances against Nashville after starter Thatcher Demko was injured in Game 1, said the team sat him for precautionary reasons and elected to play Silovs. He was available to play throughout the entire second round, but the younger Silovs remained between the pipes, compiling a .898 SV%, 2.91 GAA and one shutout in the first 10 postseason starts of his career.
- Pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Tyler Myers said he’d like to return to Vancouver this summer (via Drance). The 34-year-old right-shot defender is coming off a five-year, $30MM contract that was hardly a good value proposition for the team, but the veteran had a decent season in a reduced role this year with 29 points and a +16 rating in 77 games. It was the only time he’d averaged less than 20 minutes per game in his 15-year career. Evolving Hockey projects a Myers extension in Vancouver to come in at $3.5MM per season for two years.
Glad to hear there was a simple explanation for Boeser’s clotting issue and no long term effects. Speedy recovery.
Certainly explains Petey’s mobility and speed issues this season especially down the stretch and playoffs.
I’d like to use the money that would be spent on Hronek and keep Zadorov and Myers, he is not an $8M player and those two are probably looking at $8-$9M combined
Zadorov was fantastic
Hronek is RFA with arbitration rights (and will certainly use that) so moving him to a contender who wants a 1-year rental (or to sign him to something around 7-8mil) for some assets and/or picks would be a wise move. Use that money on Joshua + Zadorov or like RedKing22 said, Myers and Zadorov
Though someone might throw 5+million at Zadorov because he is big, young, and had this playoff to show off.
With Silovs emergence as an NHL ready goalie, would it be possible to trade Demko, resign DeSmith, and likely be able to re-up Hronek as well as Lindholm? And still have some left to replace Zadorov (I don’t think Van would spend $5.5 to $6M AAV on him)???
I’m still trying to figure out why the Hawks got rid of Zadorov and kept Murphy.
I would not be comfortable trading Demko at this point. He’s UFA in 2 years time, I say ride him and Silovs until then and then make a decision. DeSmith I’m comfortable letting walk.
Would much rather spend that on Zadorov than even more to keep Hronek.
Keep Z at $5.25 x 5, Lindholm at $8.4 x 8, and trade Hronek to Canes for Necas + 2nd and sign him to $5.75M x 5
As long as Boeser’s situation was a one-off, that is good news. And, it shows he has a bit of Tanev in him, with the shock-blocking mentality.