Canucks: 3 questions facing Brock Boeser in 2021
Despite a career-low in goals last year, Vancouver Canucks’ winger Brock Boeser found new ways to contribute. Here are three big questions facing him in 2021.
As the NHL tries to finalize how they’ll be rolling out the 2021 season, Vancouver Canucks‘ winger Brock Boeser patiently waits to remind fans that he’s a critical cog in the Canucks’ system and an elite NHL sniper.
The Minnesota native is just three years removed from his sensational rookie season that stole the hearts of many. His first trip around the sun as an NHL player was impressive. He was an All-Star Game MVP who put up an astonishing 29 goals at nearly a half a goal per game pace en route to being a Calder Trophy runner-up.
The hot start to his career made him an instant fan-favourite, but with the arrival of franchise pieces in both Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, remaining the team’s star player under the spotlight has been challenging.
With back-to-back seasons each featuring drop-offs in the goal-scoring department, Boeser has fallen out of order. Here are three questions facing “The Flow” as he tries to re-establish himself as a top scoring talent on the Canucks.
Can Boeser lead the Canucks in goals?
When Boeser entered the National Hockey League he looked primed to be the Canucks’ next great sniper. Effortlessly putting the puck past one goaltender after another, Boeser’s wrist shot had Canucks fans excited for the future.
However, ever since that memorable rookie season ended early, Boeser’s shot hasn’t been the same and he hasn’t been able to find the consistency required of a true shooter. But to be fair, he’s been thrown in front of challenging obstacles both on and off the ice.
Whether it be a nagging injury or the health of a family member, Boeser hasn’t exactly had the proper time to truly dial himself in. And the result? Boeser’s goal total slipped to just 16 in 2019-20 and he found himself outside the top five in Canucks scoring.
Looking back at the success of the Lotto Line last year and how big of a piece Boeser was in all of that, it’s hard to believe his shooting percentage was so low (9.5%) compared to the numbers he put up in 2017 (16.2%).
But even though Boeser had a down year in 2019-20 when it came to finishing, he still produced points at a career-high rate (0.789). With that in mind, plus the fact that he faced injuries that sidelined him for 12 games, it’s not hard to believe Boeser’s shot should bounce back in 2021.
With Tyler Toffoli no longer in the fold, the Canucks will be relying on Boeser that much more to find his shot once again. But with an extended offseason off the coattails of a solid first NHL Playoffs experience, Boeser should be able to do just that.
Which line will Boeser play next year?
Last season, Boeser split playing time between lines one and two. Next to Pettersson and J.T. Miller, he helped to form the Lotto Line, which was one of the NHL’s most lethal scoring trios. They dominated play for wide stretches and were the Canucks’ main source of scoring power.
But when Boeser wasn’t making pretty plays as a part of 649, he would often slot in next to the team captain in an effort to help convert Vancouver’s shutdown line into more of a two-way threat that can score and play defence.
With not as much force in their scoring abilities amongst the Vancouver roster, it might make the most sense for Travis Green to elect to split up his top producers. Since Jake Virtanen still needs to work on being more responsible in the defensive end, putting Boeser with Horvat is the more likely choice. His defensive game has taken a big leap forward and it would be nice to see that continue.
Can Boeser remain healthy in 2021?
It’s the number one reason Boeser hasn’t solidified himself as an NHL goal-scoring machine. Unfortunately, injuries have been a part of the package for as long as he’s been in the league and he needs to find a way to work past it.
Taking a look back at his documented injury list that’s had him unfit for games each year, he missed 20 games with a back injury at the end of his rookie season. The year after, he followed that up by missing another 13 games. And finally, in the 2019-20 campaign, Boeser played only 57 regular-season games.
In the New Year, Boeser will be entering his fifth NHL season and he’s yet to play a full schedule. The NHL just announced a reduced 56-game schedule for 2021, so maybe that’s what he needs. Surviving a shortened campaign without missing any games would be a great start for Boeser. Hopefully, the extended break puts him in the right mind-frame to do what must be done.
Final thoughts…
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Boeser has what it takes to be the pure goal-scorer he once looked to be becoming. He’s just gotta piece it all together next year as he’ll try his best to help the Canucks return to the postseason.