The Canucks could not catch a break this year. Between injuries and Elias Pettersson's feud with then-teammate JT Miller, the Canucks could not have avoided the spotlight even if they had put on the invisibility cloak from Harry Potter.
To cap it all off, the team mutually agreed to part ways with coach Rick Tochet. I cannot say I blame the guy for not wanting to come back. Add President of Hockey Operations (and former Pens GM) Jim Rutherford's comments about captain Quinn Hughes expressing how he wants to play with his brothers; you have a very destabilizing situation in Vancouver.
Caught in this mess was forward Brock Boeser, a 2015 selection of the Canucks. Boeser is a UFA this summer and many assumed the Canucks would trade Boeser at the deadline for draft picks or young players, considering they were out of the playoffs at the time. They opted to keep him and then did not make a serious effort to sign Boeser after the deadline.
It was reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that Boeser and his camp were seeking a 6-year deal or more, while the Canucks refused to offer the 28-year-old winger anything over 5 years. Their relationship is all but over, much like Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas.
When asked if he would be back next year, Boeser replied, "Unlikely." Not reassuring words. Daily Faceoff estimated that Boeser will likely receive a six-year contract with an AAV of $8.5 million. If I were the Penguins, I would happily pay that or offer him $9.5 a year. He is a sniper who would pair well with Crosby and is significantly younger than Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell.
Pius Suter
If the Penguins cannot get a deal done with Boeser, they should try and sign Pius Suter. The undrafted 28-year-old exploded last year with 46 points in 81 games, 17 better than last year. He is projected to get a 4x5 contract this summer. I would be willing to offer him even more than that. He is a versatile player who played all four forward lines this year, as well as the powerplay and penalty kill. Also after Evgeni Malkin retries, he can fill the #2 cwenter role perfectly.