Pump the Brakes on the Bo Horvat Trade Rumors
By Curtis Deem
…someone who can at least keep pace with Gaudreau and Laine, and provide some two-way ability. Horvat can do all of that.
The biggest concern with making a trade like this, is what you’ll have to send the other way to make it happen. Now, I will never claim to be an insider or to have any knowledge of what’s actually going on behind the scenes, so this is merely speculation on my part. But, my gut says this player will not come cheap, even though he’s on an expiring deal.
The fact of the matter is, Horvat is a very important player for the Canucks. They aren’t going to sell their captain off for pennies on the dollar. Exacerbating this thought: his red hot start to the season. He has 14 goals and 20 points in 17 games played thus far. That’s an impressive pace for any player, but especially for a guy playing on a team that is struggling.
Part of his success is that he’s shooting at a rate that isn’t sustainable (21.9%). His career average is pretty high compared to most players (13.5%), but there will be some regression to his goal scoring pace at some point. That said, he’s a consistent 50-60 point threat, who wins faceoffs and does a lot of the little things well enough to make him well worth the contract he’s seeking.
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But the Canucks probably don’t want his dollar value to be anywhere close to Pettersson or Miller. They have the luxury of using him on their third line, and I would imagine they’d like to pay him accordingly. Sometimes a player wants a bigger role and more money, and early indications are that Horvat would rather test the market than sign a team-friendly deal to remain in Vancouver. Who can blame him?
It’s important to note that while he would immediately become the best center we have in Columbus, he’s probably best suited as a #2 center on a contending team. So in that regard, he does not solve our long desired top line center need. With the talent on the wings, it’s debatable that we probably don’t need an elite center here, just an upgrade; someone who can at least keep pace with Gaudreau and Laine, and provide some two-way ability. Horvat can do all of that.
The problem with that: while he’s their third line center, the Canucks know all of this too. They know the Jackets need centers. They know Horvat is a rare commodity, the kind of player who rarely becomes available for a mid-season trade. They will get interest from every team looking to upgrade down the middle, which is going to drive the price way up.