Brock Boeser’s Agent Working Hard for Trade to Minnesota

Photo: Dom Gagne - USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Wild want to be buyers at the NHL trade deadline, even if their current standing in the Western Conference is that of a playoff tweener, not Stanley Cup hopeful. What GM Bill Guerin hopes to add, is offensive firepower.

Enter: Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks)

One player on the trade market who would bring that offense is Vancouver Canucks’ (almost) 26-year-old winger — and Burnsville, MN native — Brock Boeser. The problem? At $6.65 million per season, and with two years left remaining on his deal, Boeser is too expensive for the cap-strapped Wild, who have serious money problems after this season, thanks to the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

But according to his agent, Ben Hankinson, Boeser wants to return to the Twin Cities and play for his hometown Wild. So Hankinson and Bill Guerin have been working behind the scenes to find any way possible to make that happen.

But agent Ben Hankinson, with permission from the Canucks, said he’s been in contact with Wild general manager Bill Guerin about trying to find a way to make it work.

“They’re trying to move some things around, potentially,” Hankinson said Wednesday on The Athletic Hockey Show. “More importantly, maybe are they on the inside (of the playoffs)? They obviously had a big win last night. There’s 82 games, you don’t think one win would be so important. But where are they sitting? Does Billy want to add? Or could he be a potential seller?

Joe Smith (The Athletic)
Are the Minnesota Wild a playoff team?

As of Wednesday, following three-straight victories, the Minnesota Wild are smack-dab in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race. They currently hold the final wildcard spot, four points ahead of the Calgary Flames and seven points clear of the Nashville Predators. Their 67 points is also tied with the Colorado Avalanche, who sit ahead of the Wild for 3rd place in the central division.

Hankinson sees Boeser sliding in perfectly opposite Matt Boldy. The impact he’d have on that 2nd line could be profound. Look no farther than what Boldy and Fiala did together last season, after Matt was called up to be another playmaker on Kevin’s line. The impact was immediate and those two went on to produce huge point totals, Boeser could absolutely make that same type of impact.

What would it take?

Trade pieces going back, as Hockenson mentions, could be any of the three Minnesota Wild players — Jordan Greenway, Matt Dumba, Calen Addison — who have been thrown into the trade rumor mill of late.

“But where does Brock Boeser fit? I think he fits in perfectly (as) a top-six scoring wing, probably playing with (Matt) Boldy. But there are other pieces in play. There are rumors that (Jordan) Greenway could be going. Obviously the whole (Matt) Dumba rumors. (Calen) Addison has been scratched a little bit, too. There’s a ton at play.”

Ben Hankinson (Boeser’s agent) – via The Athletic

To make this trade happen, Bill Guerin will have to convince the Vancouver Canucks to retain much of Boeser’s future salary cap hits. To do that, he will have to pay a hefty amount more in player capital than what other interested parties are willing to part with. But if they can find a way to make the money work, top-6 offensive talent will no longer be a concern.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan