Price is Right: Is Horvat's red-hot play going to get him signed or traded by Canucks?

Nov 2 2022, 9:49 pm

sekeres and price

There’s a lot to think about right now for the Vancouver Canucks, and you have to wonder where re-signing the red hot captain of the team is on the priority list.

You could really argue it both ways. As we’ve talked about a lot. One or two members of the core of this team won’t be with this team, if and when they make their next deep run in the playoffs.

Is one of those departed names going to be Bo Horvat? His contract status certainly begs that question.

And his play now? Well, again, argue it both ways. Tied for third in league goal scoring, Horvat is both attracting attention league-wide but also proving his worth to the local team.

And for a centre that has not exactly been known to use his wingers, he seems to be awakening J.T. Miller whilst he scores like this, at least on the power play.

Horvat is firing on all cylinders. So because of that, does Horvat force the hand of the Canucks to sign him, or trade him? It’s the kind of action, either way, that could snap some players to attention. Because if they sign him, it could be part of a bigger set of moves that includes moving a teammate out, whether that’s Miller, or Brock Boeser, or Conor Garland, or whomever. Meanwhile, if they trade away the captain, the culture changes, the direction changes.

The longer this red hot stretch goes though, the stranger it becomes, and the more likely the Horvat camp realizes, “hey, we’re only X months away from getting multiple offers from any number of teams, let’s just wait.”

That would be a colossal failure for this organization, one that would necessitate a heroic bit of work from management, akin to the Flames. Only, the Canucks wouldn’t have the same cap space to make it happen.

Horvat is demanding attention. But which kind is it going to be?

Blake PriceBlake Price

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