The Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a bit of a mess right about now, with Jim Rutherford going as far as to say that the situation requires “major surgery.” With the NHL trade deadline looming, the Canucks are expected to look to trade star center Bo Horvat, rather than sign him to a big-money contract extension. With Horvat’s future up in the air, TSN indicates that the Canucks have had trade discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes over a potential Horvat deal.
As of right now, the Canucks’ asking price on Horvat reportedly remains too high for the Hurricanes. TSN reports that Vancouver would be seeking a promising young center in addition to some draft capital in exchange for Horvat. Carolina, however, likely won’t want to spend so much on a rental.
Horvat is out of contract after this season, at which point he’ll hit unrestricted free agency. He figures to sign a massive contract this offseason, although it’s unlikely the Canucks will be the team paying him. In 2022-23, Horvat is earning $4.45 million in what is the final year of a six-year, $33 million deal.
Reports suggest that the Canucks lowballed Horvat in their previous contract negotiations, making an extension between the two sides even less likely.
Despite that, Vancouver could hold out until their asking price for Horvat is met on the trade market, and it remains to be seen whether the Hurricanes would be willing to part ways with enough assets to get a deal done.
In 2022-23, Horvat is off to a torrid start, scoring 30 goals and registering 48 points in 43 games on the year. He’s just one goal shy of his career high, which he set when he scored 31 goals in 70 games last season.
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