Insider Says Blue Jackets Could Be Looking at Bo Horvat Trade

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Columbus Blue Jackets might be a team that is looking at Bo Horvat of the Vancouver Canucks, assuming the Canucks ultimately decide to trade the red-hot center this season. The Blue Jackets have struggled, have a number of injuries causing concern and the Canucks don’t seem to be on the same page with their star, thus a fit might make sense.

Friedman noted during the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast that while there’s some obvious change potentially coming in the coaching ranks for the Canucks, he also noted that the team is getting calls on a few players. He said that Bo Horvat was among the Canucks’ players other teams were inquiring about. He noted, “I heard some rumors about Columbus, that makes a lot of sense, Columbus could really use a centre”.

When Jeff Marek asked if that really made sense without a contract extension in place, Friedman responded, “There are some teams he makes sense as a rental and other teams where he doesn’t make sense as a rental, and they’re definitely one of them.” In other words, if the Blue Jackets seriously look at this kind of deal, they want Horvat on a new deal and with the team long-term. Otherwise, it’s not worth pursuing. Friedman asked, “Is he going to be willing to do that?”

Friedman wasn’t sure that the Canucks would give a team permission to chat with Horvat early and he wasn’t sure if Horvat was the kind of player who would want to. He noted that some players are open to being traded — many knowing they can’t stop a trade if they don’t have trade protection — but if they’re coming up on UFA status, they don’t want to have long-term contract conversations until they’ve gotten a feel for the market. “These are all questions we don’t know.”

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