2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Player Review: Brock Boeser
A deep dive into the 2023-24 season of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Player Review: Brock BoeserWelcome to the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks player review series. Over the summer, we will be taking a look at Canucks players performances from the 2023-24 season. Today's player is Brock Boeser, who had 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.
What a year it was for Boeser. Vancouver's longest-serving player set a new career high with 73 points while becoming the tenth skater in franchise history to score 40 goals. An All-Star, or should we say Brockstar, Boeser proved that he can be one of the top goal scorers in the NHL, finishing tied for 15th in the league in 2023-24.
One of the reasons Boeser finally hit the 40-goal mark was his ability to create high-danger shots. According to NHL EDGE, Boeser ranked in the 97th percentile for high-danger shots, while his 22 high-danger goals ranked in the 98th percentile. While he can still beat goaltenders from distance, as he ranked in the 88th percentile in mid-range goals, Boeser proved he can be successful as a net-front presence, scoring 11 goals either through tips, deflections or by batting the puck into the net.
As for the power play, Boeser set career highs in multiple categories. His 16 goals were tied with Trevor Linden and Daniel Sedin for the tenth most in a season by a Canucks player, while he led the team with 79 shots. Boeser also had a shots-through percentage of 60.8%, which also is a new career high.
While most of the focus will be on Boeser's offensive play, his defensive game deserves some recognition. At even strength, he was on the ice for 28.37 shots against per 60, which was the second lowest of his career, while his 26.39 scoring chance against per 60 was his fewest since the 2019-20 season. Often matching up against the opposition's top line, Boeser proved he could be a valuable two-way player throughout the regular season.
As for the playoffs, Boeser had a performance to remember. He led the team in scoring with seven goals and was tied with J.T. Miller for the points lead at 12. During the postseason, Boeser also scored the sixth hat trick in franchise history, while his goal with eight seconds left in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators stands as the third latest game-tying postseason goal in franchise history.
Just like the regular season, Boeser was also strong defensively throughout the playoffs. In 54:06 against Connor McDavid, Boeser and his linemates were able to limit the Oilers to just four goals at five-on-five. As for the series against Nashville, the Predators managed just one goal total in 95:04 at five-on-five when Boeser was on the ice. In short, while Boeser played a crucial role from an offensive perspective during Vancouver's 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs run, it was his work away from the puck that really made the difference.
Moving forward, there are a few questions surrounding Boeser. The first is what his health will look like next season. Boeser was forced to miss Game 7 of the second round due to a blood clot in his leg. Luckily, it appears this issue has been solved, as GM Patrik Allvin mentioned on July 1 that he should be ready to go by training camp.
The other question is whether Boeser can put up another 40-goal season. While he may not be able to replicate his 19.6% shooting percentage next season, there is little doubt that he can produce at a similar level in 2024-25. Now that he has a year of experience playing net-front on the power play, combined with his chemistry alongside Miller, Boeser should be able to put up 35-40 goals and could flirt with the 80-point mark next year.
Overall, Boeser's time with the Canucks has not been easy. From injuries to trade speculation to missing the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons, it has been rough at times for the former first-rounder. The good news is that based on his performance from the 2023-24 season, it looks as though he has moved past those issues and has become one of the top right-wingers in the NHL. If he can replicate the performance in 2024-25, not only will he help Vancouver stay competitive, but he could also earn a brand new long-term contract.
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