Brock Boeser's Future Almost Took a Drastic Turn Just Before His Vancouver Canucks Return

The Vancouver Canucks surprised everyone in the hockey community last Tuesday when it was announced that they agreed to terms on a seven-year contract worth $50.75 million US with unrestricted free agent forward Brock Boeser.

It certainly felt like Brock Boeser's time with the Vancouver Canucks was coming to a close and that this chapter of his career was over, but both parties were able to get a deal done that they were comfortable with and now, the Burnsville, Minnesota native will remain with the club until the summer of 2032.

Leading up to Canada Day, rumors were swirling about where Brock Boeser may end up if he were to leave the Vancouver Canucks, including one report that linked him to his hometown Minnesota Wild.

Given how thin the free agent market was when it came to top end talent, there would've been a ton of interest from teams around the NHL for Brock Boeser, potentially upwards of a dozen, and it looks like an Eastern Conference team, who is in a bit of a retool, was one of those clubs.

During an appearance in a video recently posted to Bleacher Report, NHL insider Frank Seravalli revealed that among the teams that were interest in Brock Boeser was the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While they may still have their core still together, featuring Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a team that is trying to retool on the fly rather than tearing things down completely, something they probably should consider doing after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three years.

Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas is trying to do everything in his power to keep the team's competitive window open as long as Sidney Crosby is on the roster, which makes their pursuit of Brock Boeser early last week understandable.

How close was Brock Boeser to joining the Pittsburgh Penguins? We'll probably never know, but given the direction of the team, it doesn't feel like there would be a fit there long-term, but with a need for scoring and a top-six forward, it certainly made sense as to why Kyle Dubas would at least attempt to land the 28-year-old.