It’s not too often a player 21 games into the first season of a three-year contract extension becomes a virtual lock to be traded. But here we are with right winger Brock Boeser and the Vancouver Canucks.

It’s natural to view last weekend’s drama as a catalyst and the reason why Boeser and agent Ben Hankinson have been granted permission by the club to find a trade. When the Canucks attempted to healthy scratch Boeser, whose father Duke died of cancer earlier this year, on Hockey Fights Cancer night, it hurt him badly. He said as much. Surely, the disrespect he received from the Canucks made it easier for him to entertain the idea of playing elsewhere.

But the truth is that the Boeser trade idea was already in the works, as reported earlier this week by Canucks beat reporter Thomas Drance of The Athletic. The Canucks are struggling to compete in the Pacific Division; their president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, has repeatedly, publicly backed the bus over coach Bruce Boudreau; starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is out with a long-term injury; and captain Bo Horvat, a pending UFA, is unlikely to stay with the team. Whether it’s a retool or rebuild, a re-something is on the horizon, and the Canucks reportedly want to clear cap space

That’s where Boeser comes in. His skill as a goal-scorer is unquestioned – he’s probably a top-10 if not top-five pure shooter on the planet – but his ability to maximize that talent is very much in question. Now 25 and competing in his sixth full NHL season, he has, amazingly, yet to record his first 30-goal campaign in the NHL, due to a mixture of injuries, COVID-abbreviated schedules and flat out underachieving. This season, he’s scored just four times in 21 games. His $6.65 million cap hit has thus become hard to stomach, and the Canucks are loath to retain any of his salary in a trade, reports The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.

And yet: Boeser remains in his prime and his potential still feels vast. In the right situation, he could make himself into a bargain at his price tag, and two more years after this one doesn’t make him a daunting long-term commitment. As he and Hankinson search for a fit, the idea shouldn’t be completely impossible.  Which destinations make the most sense for Boeser? I won’t empty all the clickbait sauce into the pot and say the Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames, as an divisional trade for a potential difference-making sniper doesn’t make a lot of sense.

But consider these six landing spots for No. 6, listed alphabetically.

DALLAS STARS

Jason Robertson’s breakthrough into superstardom has changed the Stars’ identity. This is no longer the creaky veteran team that willed itself to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final using savvy and duct tape. The likes of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are the bit players now. Left winger Robertson, center Roope Hintz, defenseman Miro Heiskanen and goaltender Jake Oettinger are the young franchise pillars now and have molded Dallas into a team with realistic odds of challenging for Stanley Cups over the next several years.

So the Stars, who have quietly stocked up their farm system with some really nice steals in recent seasons, suddenly look like a threat to add a big name, and GM Jim Nill has already been rumored to be chasing another top-six forward. The Stars sit at just under $82 million in cap spending at the moment. They would need to send some money Vancouver’s way. What about starting with another underachieving 25-year-old in Denis Gurianov? He’s a fellow 2015 first-round talent who could use a fresh start. He has just one goal in 19 games and is a pending RFA. It has been reported that the Canucks are willing to take on a contract, so there could be a fit.