"It's over": Canucks refuse to meet with Horvat's agent: report
With Andrei Kuzmenko sticking around, the Vancouver Canucks are done with Bo Horvat.
With nothing available in projected cap space after this season, the Canucks captain’s fate likely lies beyond the walls of Rogers Arena, as Kuzmenko put pen to paper on a two-year $5.5 million AAV contract with the hockey club.
While the Kuzmenko contract didn’t break the bank for the Canucks, it’s pushed the cap to its limits, and the organization reportedly is losing interest in Horvat.
“Bo Horvat’s agent has spent the last two days in Vancouver, and the Canucks refused to meet with him, so it was a perfect time to meet, and it’s very telling,” Rick Dhaliwal said on the Donnie and Dhali Show.
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Andrei Kuzmenko on a two-year extension with an average annual value of $5.5 million. pic.twitter.com/1hs6WHsaLz
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 26, 2023
“Now we know about Kuzmenko; it’s very telling to me why they didn’t meet with Pat, didn’t meet with him in Toronto; it’s trending the same way as it did with [Jacob] Markstrom and [Chris] Tanev.”
Dhaliwal previously reported on Wednesday that the Canucks were maintaining talks with Horvat and his agent, Pat Morris, but that it was clear to the management group that they could keep Horvat or Kuzemenko but not both.
“They can’t sign Horvat and Kuzmenko, only one of them, and right now, no offer has been made to Kuzmenko,” he said.
"Pat Morris has spent the last two days in Vancouver and the #Canucks refuse to meet with him.."@DhaliwalSports shares what the Kuzmenko extension means for Bo Horvathttps://t.co/h4e2SKLzpb pic.twitter.com/szZVn9WIry
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) January 26, 2023
The deal reportedly came together in the early stages of Thursday morning in Vancouver, hours after new Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet called his team’s efforts “soft,” in a 6-1 trouncing against the Pacific Division-leading Seattle Kraken.
“Two times now they’ve picked players over Bo [Miller, Kuzmenko,]” Dhaliwal said. “It’s over.”
Horvat has a team-leading 31 goals, along with 19 assists in 47 games this season, and is well on his way to surpassing his 61-point career high set in 2018-19.
With his current six-year, $33 million deal signed in 2017 expiring, the Canucks are fielding interest from across the NHL, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils leading the potential trade charge, while rumours have swirled about a fit with the Boston Bruins.
The Canucks will have to find a trade before the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline or lose Horvat for nothing in the same way that Markstrom and Tanev found their way to the Calgary Flames.
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