Should Canucks Prioritize Bo Horvat Contract Extension amid Latest NHL Rumors?

Bo Horvat has spent his entire eight-year NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks. He's been the team's captain since 2019. And he's been a key offensive contributor throughout his tenure.

However, the future is uncertain for the 27-year-old center. That's because after the 2022-23 season, Horvat is set to become an unrestricted free agent. If he hits the market, then there will be interest from other teams.

But it's possible Horvat won't become a UFA. There's still a chance the Canucks could sign him to a long-term extension and ensure that their leader won't be going anywhere next summer.

At this point, though, that doesn't seem like the strongest possibility.

According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, there's a "pretty sizable gap" between the positions laid out by both the Canucks and Horvat's side in extension discussions. But that could always change.

"There's lots of time for the Canucks and Horvat's representatives to find a way over the next few months, and it is the Canucks' absolute priority to get their captain signed to a long-term deal," LeBrun recently said on TSN's Insider Trading.

However, there's also a reason why Vancouver feels "a bit less pressure" to re-sign Horvat. That's because the Canucks have already inked forward J.T. Miller to a seven-year, $56 million deal earlier this month, so they have at least one of their top offensive players under contract for the long term.

"In other words, they have a delicate salary cap position, and a Horvat extension has to fit within that long term," LeBrun said.

Of course, Vancouver is a better team when it has the option to put both Horvat and Miller on the ice. So it may be wise to try to find a way to make a Horvat deal work financially.

But what will happen if the March 3 trade deadline is approaching and Horvat still doesn't have a contract beyond the end of the upcoming season?

"We'll see where this goes, but certainly my sense is that if Horvat is not signed by the March 3 trade deadline, there is a possibility the Canucks would trade him instead of losing him for nothing come July 1," LeBrun said.

It would make a good bit of sense for Vancouver to do that. If the two sides are still substantially far apart in contract negotiations in March, then they'll likely have a good idea of whether an extension is still possible.

Horvat has been a solid player for the Canucks. He's tallied 52 or more points in four of the past six seasons, including during the 2021-22 campaign, when he had a career-high 31 goals and 21 assists in 70 games.

But Vancouver also shouldn't be willing to pay Horvat so much that its financial situation then prevents it from making other moves. The Canucks haven't made the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, so they can't afford to overpay players when they're not having success.

That's why Vancouver should do its best to get an extension done with Horvat (and as soon as possible), but it also has to be smart about its finances. If Horvat is looking for too much, then the Canucks may be better off using those resources elsewhere.