The rival Minnesota Wild appear to be a frontrunner to sign Brock Boeser in free agency this summer, as long as the price is right for them.
The Minnesota Wild will finally enjoy some much-needed cap space this summer with the expiration of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts.
That cap space is coming at an opportune time for the team, as it has some excellent young players but still needs to improve in some areas. Free agency is the chance to fill those gaps.
Brock Boeser revealed it's 'unlikely' he re-signs with Vancouver
One interesting choice is Brock Boeser, a Minnesota-born pending free agent who spoke recently to 'Sportsnet' and said it's 'unlikely' he returns to the Vancouver Canucks.
If he does end up on the open market, Boeser will be one of the most highly coveted players on the board.
The Wild will consider signing Boeser if the price is right. Minnesota is already in the running, according to 'The Athletic'. Boeser would be one of the team's most feared offensive threats immediately.
He's averaged 0.78 points per game throughout his career and is only a season removed from a 40-goal, 73-point campaign.
Boeser's value also appears in the power-play, where Minnesota struggled all season long. The Wild ranked 19th in power-play effectiveness (21.1%) and even experimented with a five-forwards unit to add more offense.
As reported by Nick Kypreos, Boeser is seeking an $8 million-plus-per-year contract for eight years. If he makes it to unrestricted free agency, his value may be up a little bit, say, $8.5 million per year for seven years.
For an offense and special-teams-deprived club looking to add depth there, Boeser could be an excellent addition.
