Elliotte Friedman noted during the intermission and Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada segment that the Vancouver Canucks will try and go back to forward Bo Horvat one more time to see if there’s any way they can work out a contract extension. Horvat is red hot and continues to show the Canucks might have made a mistake prioritizing J.T. Miller over Horvat when they signed Miller to a long-term deal.
The NHL insider says the limit is Miller’s $8 million per season contract and it’s possible Horvat feels he’s now worth more than that. He’s 27, has scored 28 goals this season, plays a solid two-way game and doesn’t come with the baggage and reputation Miller has made for himself among the league and his teammates. Horvat is leadership material all day long and there will be plenty of teams looking at him as both a rental and a trade piece they could potential sign a long-term deal with.
Friedman doesn’t think the Canucks will have any luck and that a trade is more likely. There is definitely nothing imminent, he reports.
Could the Seattle Kraken Jump In Here?
He added, “Obviously there’s going to be a ton of interest… one team, guys, I’ve wondered about potentially getting into this is… the Seattle Kraken.” The Kraken are playing much better than most would have suspected in their second season as an NHL club. They have the ability to score, have good young talent on reasonable contracts and they sit comfortably in a playoff spot with a 22-12-4 record.
What makes them such an interesting option is that they’ve yet to make a really big move or a big splash in the NHL trade or free agent market. They may never do so, choosing instead to build slowly, but they have the cap space to make a move and some good young pieces they could trade that the Canucks would likely find enticing.
Would the Kraken veer from their game plan? Would someone like Shane Wright be a piece the Kraken would move to secure Horvat on a long-term deal and a one-two with Matthew Beniers?
Next: Three Takeaways from Maple Leafs 4-1 Win vs. Red Wings
