The Vancouver Canucks are in dire straits after another blown lead and another overtime loss, this time to the Montreal Canadiens, dropping a 5-4 decision. Quinn Hughes is back, but Dakota Joshua is injured. Now, it's not looking great for Brock Boeser and a potential contract extension with the Canucks.
According to Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal, there has been virtually no progress in extension talks for Boeser since he became eligible to extend on July 1. That's a bad sign when you're dealing with a player who scored 40 goals a season ago.
"Very quiet on the Boeser front. Not hearing of any hot and heavy talks of late. Lots of work to do before a deal gets done," Dhaliwal reported on "Donnie and Dhali" on Monday. "The Canucks signed J.T. Miller in his UFA season in September. They're taking Boeser to the wire; that's telling to me. You've had seven months to talk to Boeser, and you're not close."
Earlier @DhaliwalSports shared the latest he is hearing with #Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen and Forward Brock Boeser and contract extensions.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/RTIP61EDl2
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) January 6, 2025
And that's not all. Corroborating Dhaliwal's report, TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger believes that Boeser's future with the Canucks could be tied to the fate of head coach Rick Tocchet, whose job could be in jeopardy the longer the Canucks struggle.
"I think that has an influence. I do. I think that's a factor in it. I wouldn't say that's the reason he's going to stay or he's going to leave," Dreger said on "Sekeres and Price" on Monday. "It's a factor, and that's not unusual. I think that a lot of unrestricted free agents across the league would do that, especially if they've got a sense that there could be a coaching change. What are things like in the second half of the season?"
Hughes vs Habs? Reinforcements close as Canucks hit the road w/ with @mattsekeres & @justBlakePrice, @patersonjeff, @darrendreger, @risingaction https://t.co/YDFemBJtKe
— Sekeres and Price (@sekeresandprice) January 6, 2025
Despite missing games due to a concussion and losing centers J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson for varying periods of time, Boeser still has 14 goals, 12 assists, and 26 points in 32 games this season. The 27-year-old, who finishes plays more often than he creates them, is second on the Canucks in scoring and is one of four Canucks players with more than 10 goals this season. He's also played the fewest games of the four.
And again, the longer the Canucks struggle, the more jeopardized Tocchet's job becomes. If the Canucks don't get moving on a potential offer and turn one of Boeser's key factors against him, that could backfire in short order.