The date is June 26, 2015, and it’s the first round of that year’s NHL Entry Draft. This one is touted to be one of the greatest drafts in NHL history, and it’s especially easy to see why in hindsight.
The Edmonton Oilers landed a generational talent in Connor McDavid (let’s not talk about what they did with the 13th pick), whilst other elite talents like Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, and Timo Meier were all in the opening ten picks of this draft. I recommend you scroll through this draft’s first round. It’s just an embarrassment of riches, even in the round’s latter half.
But, as is customary with every draft, there were no shortage of stinkers. The Boston Bruins had THREE STRAIGHT first round picks and walked away with just one, bonified NHL player in Jake Debrusk. A good player in his own right, but not near the caliber of a Kyle Connor or Thomas Chabot, who were both selected shortly thereafter.
Luckily for the Vancouver Canucks, they crushed it with the 23rd overall pick, with them selecting Burnsville, Minnesota native, Brock Boeser. The American-born winger was touted as a pure goal-scorer, and many analysts considered the pick to be a potential steal.
In the latter half of the 2016-17 season, after two successful years at the University of North Dakota, Boeser made his NHL debut in his home state in a game against the Minnesota Wild.
He was known for scoring goals at every level, and it was no different in his inaugural game.
Boeser buried a rebound off of a Bo Horvat rush chance to tally the first goal of his NHL career. The next season was the infamous rookie year, which saw Boeser light the lamp 29 times in 62 games, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting behind Coquitlam native, Mat Barzal.
It’s no secret that since his rookie season, Boeser hadn’t lived up to the expectations many placed on him. I mean, when you score 29 tucks in not even a full season, and as a rookie, that player will become a star nine times out of ten.
The 2023 season was particularly unremarkable on the ice for Boeser. Although he tallied 55 points through 74 games, only 18 of them were goals and he had the worst underlying numbers of his entire career. All of that is to be taken with a grain of salt, as people forget about the human element in sports.
We don’t have to get in to all of the awful off-ice stuff that Boeser went through in 2022, but all I’ll say is that if I were someone in his position, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be playing at the apex of my ability. He’s a human being and was put through the ringer, and I seriously empathize with all of his struggles over the last few years.
Coming into the 2023-24 campaign, the general expectations weren’t high for Boeser, at least from the fanbase. Many just assumed it would be more of the same, mid-level top six production that he had over the previous two seasons; but I didn’t make any foregone conclusions.
This was a player that had produced at a top of the lineup rate for the majority of his career. Off-ice struggles and injuries were major factors in Boeser’s decline from 2021-2023. A player with a history of top line production should’ve never been written off as quickly as he was.
But man, I bet all of those people are happily feasting on crow right now. What a season so far for Brock.
It all started in the Canucks home opener vs the Edmonton Oilers on October 11, 2023, which was a game in which I attended with some friends. The player introductions started things off, Quinn Hughes got a mini ceremony for being anointed as captain; but it didn’t really feel like anything special was in the air.
After Elias Pettersson gave Conor Garland one of the filthiest assists I had ever witnessed, Brock Boeser would get himself on the scoresheet shortly thereafter.
Phil Di Giuseppe would steal the puck from Evan Bouchard in the corner, and the puck found its way on to the stick of J.T. Miller, who sent a pass into the slot to Brock Boeser. This goal was like reuniting with a friend you haven’t seen in years, as Boeser scored on a wrist shot that was vintage Brock. An absolute laser to make it 2-0 Vancouver.
Boeser would find the twine once again in the 2nd period. Filip Hronek would fire a wrist shot towards the Oilers net, a scramble insued, and Boeser batted the puck out of mid-air to notch his second of the game. Simply a high-level play from a high-level player.
Boeser’s fortune both on and off the ice has been brutal. You can’t help but to sympathize and empathize with his struggles, and they were broadcasted for millions to see, so for him to have this wicked start in the opening game of the season was good enough for me.
But it clearly wasn’t enough for Brock.
While on the power play, Elias Pettersson threw the puck to the middle of the ice with a pass that was intended for J.T. Miller. Instead, the puck deflected off of Boeser’s skate and went into the Oilers net past Jack Campbell. Oh, and he would add a fourth goal later in the game. I say this wholeheartedly, that was probably the greatest possible scenario for that game.
The game would end with the Canucks winning 8-1, but the main story was obviously Brock Boeser.
Brocktober was in full effect, then came Brockvember, the Boesember, and now we’re in Brockuary. This whole season has been a joyride for the Canucks, but Boeser’s renaissance has maybe been my favourite storyline of the entire season. I don’t want to say that I feel vindicated after defending him for the better part of four years, but I kind of want to say that I feel vindicated after defending him for the better part of four years.
Boeser has amassed 27 goals and 46 points in 46 games so far this season, and although he hasn’t recorded a point in his last four games, that doesn’t matter. Goal scorers are streaky and Boeser isn’t immune to cold streaks, but he has found another gear this year and has withstood a point-per-game average over the course of half a season. That is wildly impressive for a player that was really going through it just a year prior.
We were all asking ourselves if this was finally going to be the year where Boeser reaches the 30-goal mark, and he only has three more to go with just under half a season left to play.
I don’t know about you, but I say he does it.
That question has been flipped on its head. Now we’re asking if he could hit 40 by the end of the season.
I don’t know about you, but I say he does it.
This has been a dream-like season for Boeser, which is something that he previously never had.
As a fan of the player, this has been so, so enjoyable, and I hope for many more seasons like this from him for years to come in Vancouver.