Welcome Matt: Are Canucks better off playing waiting game with Horvat?

I’m having second thoughts about Bo Horvat.

When J.T. Miller signed his extension prior to the Labour Day weekend, like a lot of Canucks fans, my thoughts instantly turned to the captain. What did it mean for Bo?

At first, I thought the Canucks’ best course of action was getting Horvat signed long-term like Miller. Give him term, try to keep the average annual value down, and go forward into this season with your core all locked up. No loose ends.

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That if Miller was going to be distracted by pending unrestricted free agency, so too would Horvat. So avoid that and get a deal done by the season opener on October 12.

Now, I’m starting to wonder. Perhaps they’re better off playing this out.

For starters, if they sign Horvat, they effectively declare that Andrei Kuzmenko will be one-and-done. They don’t give themselves the best chance (perhaps any chance) to re-sign the Russian rookie.

Plus the same logic, and organizational needs, apply to a Horvat trade as to a Miller trade.

That this team isn’t strong enough on defence, needs to clear cap space and needs to re-stock the prospect pipeline. A Horvat trade may well be their last chance to help those needs.

Yesterday, Horvat said his contractual status will not be a distraction. That he is solely focused on the Vancouver Canucks and making the playoffs.

If that’s the case, then ride this out, play this out, and make that call at the trade deadline.