Canucks: 3 takeaways from Brock Boeser’s 2019-20 season

Boeser can play up and down the lineup

Boeser always looks best when he’s playing on the same line as Pettersson, but this year BB6 proved he’s capable of handling his own with or without his better half. Yes, the majority of his minutes were spent filling out top-line duties, but when he had to, he played good on lines two and three as well.

His chemistry with Horvat and Adam Gaudette was different than it was with Petey, but when he’s down the lineup there is less pressure and more opportunities to score goals. Not sharing the ice with Pettersson gave Boeser more time to be the man who pulls the trigger. It benefitted him when he was struggling to score, and it gave players down the lineup something to work up to.

Think about him this year as the Canucks’ version of Phil Kessel. He’s the man, but he’s not the man. Less responsibility equaled more production. When he slipped away from line one he gained more confidence when shooting the puck and it benefitted him and the team. He got back to what he liked most (scoring goals), and the Canucks got to spread out their scoring talent. It was a win-win situation, especially once Tyler Toffoli arrived.