Back to Boeser, but this trade is also insane, just in a different way. It still has Dawson Mercer, which Canucks fans apparently feel is just a salary filler despite being 23 years old who has never missed a game and has been a big part of the offense in years past. Mercer is having his worst season as an NHLer, but there’s no reason to think he should be treated as trade filler to make contracts match.
To add Seamus Casey, one of the Devils best prospects in their system, to the deal makes this insane. Casey very well might be an extra asset, but trading him for a rental is a major mistake. Even Boeser with an extension wouldn’t get this return, but it would be better than him without one.
Listen, we get it. Canucks fans see a 27-year-old sniper who is coming off a 40-goal season and should still have some ceiling to hit, but he’s having a much worse season in a contract year. The Canucks are an absolute mess this season, and it will be a surprise if anyone pays full price for their stars, let alone overpaying for them.
Again, Boeser is a valuable asset even with his drop in production this season, but his contract status and the status of the Canucks as a whole won’t get them even close to this value. Obviously, Tomas Tatar is in this deal to match the contracts, which is fine. It’s not necessary, as the Devils could just put Erik Haula on LTIR.