Tonight is the night that we have collectively been waiting for: The much anticipated 2017-2018 debut of young stud Brock Boeser who is expected to line up along side Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi this evening against the visiting Jets.

Brock Boeser, who was a healthy scratch to start the season must be brimming with anticipation for this opportunity. Boeser boasted of his competitive nature leading up to his debut and this has fans hoping that he makes some sort of a positive impact.

The bar has been set pretty high by Brock. After scoring 4 goals in 8 games last season and again showing consistent productivity in the pre-season, fans already appear to be salivating over a shot of offensive flair in what appears to be a blue-collar forward core. But let’s all just temper that shit a little, Boeser is still a young feller. Unlike Jake Virtanen, who ate buckets of shit from fans last year while he got his poop in a group in Utica but has recently re-endeared himself playing in a bottom-6 role; there is no third or fourth line option for Boeser – it’s top six or bust.

What this basically boils down to is this: Boeser has to be productive.

String together 5 or 6 games in a row without a point and we may see him riding the pine for a few or even being sent back to Utica until someone else shits the bed or suffers an injury. This kind of high-pressure environment is a place Boeser claims to excel in – and his college playoff record reflects that; but it’s important as fans, to keep calm and remind ourselves that he’s young and still developing.

I remember a couple of kids, not too long ago, that failed to produce for a few seasons (let alone a few games) – the Sedin twins. They were coaxed into the league gradually and were not relied upon heavily for offense (hence line-mates like Trent Klatt and Jason King). A few years later and they’re topping the league in points.

Boeser is being thrust into, essentially, top-line duties with an expectation to put the puck in the net. I think he can pot 20 – 25 this year. If he can’t; however, produce on a regular basis this season – please spare us the notoriously negative “trade the dud” talk that litters our Canuck message boards and un-tie the uncomfortable knot in your panties.

But hey, worst case Ontario, the team tanks and we draft another piece of this developing puzzle we call the Canucks.