Last season really was a special one for Brock Boeser, as he finally took his game to the next level. All the promise and potential displayed during his rookie year in the NHL, came to fruition.
The 2023-24 campaign saw Boeser set several single-season highs, including 81 regular season games, a team-leading 40 goals, 73 total points and a +23 rating. His improved productivity continued into the playoffs, as he led the Canucks with seven goals and tied for the team lead with 12 overall points, in 12 appearances.
A tough end to an excellent season
Unfortunately for everyone concerned, the 27-year-old's season ended on a premature and sour note. He was forced to sit out game seven of the second round clash with the Oilers, due to a blood clot issue in his leg.
It transpired that Boeser sustained the blood clot earlier in the Oilers series, after blocking a shot with his leg. However, the Canucks were quick to stress that it wasn't a life-threatening issue, which was the main concern for fans.
Further, the 2015 first round draft pick is expected to make a full recovery in respect of returning to hockey, although he isn't entirely in the clear just yet. As we wrote earlier this month, the Canucks are taking certain precautions to monitor his progress, including wearing compression gear on flights, and using the Normatec to help prevent further potential blood clotting complications.
No contract talks for Boeser just yet
This is an important season for Boeser, who is in the finally season of his current deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent. The Canucks have already put extension talks on hold, as they wait to see if he can effectively have a repeat of the 2023-24 campaign before committing further.
In addition, the Canucks want to find out if the two-time NHL All-Star suffers any setbacks in his recovery from the aforementioned blood clot. Only, then, will they make a decision on how much term and value they offer on his next contract.
With all this in mind, it seems a good time to review where Boeser currently stands in the NHL in respect of his financial compensation. Here is a look at the top-10 highest paid wingers in the league based on Average Annual Value (AAV), and how he compares:
Rank | Player | Team | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Artemi Panarin | Rangers | $11.643 million |
2 | David Pastrnak | Bruins | $11.25 million |
3 | Mitch Marner | Leafs | $10.903 million |
4 | Jonathan Huberdeau | Flames | $10.5 million |
5 | Sebastian Aho | Hurricanes | $9.75 million |
Tied-6 | Alex Ovechkin | Capitals | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Nikita Kucherov | Lightning | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Matthew Tkachuk | Panthers | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Jamie Benn | Stars | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Mark Stone | Golden Knights | $9.5 million |
32 | Brock Boeser | Canucks | $6.65 million |
Clearly, Boeser hasn't done too badly for himself on his current three-year deal. However, he would of course like to move up the chart in respect of the highest-paid wingers, when it comes to his contract extension.
Will Boeser jump into the top 10?
The question is, how much will the 2017-18 Calder Trophy runner up rise in the pay charts? Even moving into the top five would see him jump above the likes of Ovechkin, Kucherov and Tkacuk, which would be quite something.
At the same time however, if Boeser can have another 40+ goal-scoring season, such a jump in pay would be (a bit) easier to justify. Plus, no one ever said it's fair in respect of how teams reward their players, particularly when you throw in the salary cap.
For what it's worth, ESPN projects a step back for the Burnsville, Minnesota native this coming season in their fantasy hockey rankings. They have him producing 27 goals, 29 assists, 56 overall points and a +19 rating, which would not help his case for a significant pay increase.
When it's all said and done, we don't see Boeser jumping into the top-10 for highest-paid wingers. Instead, we do project his next deal will see him earn an AAV of $9 million, which is still a pretty damn good pay rise from his current AAV of $6.65 million.
N.B. All facts and figures are courtesy of Spotrac