NHL Rumors: Bo Horvat contract, and is Patrick Kane staying in Chicago?
Anthony Scultore
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Today’s NHL Rumors takes a look at two superstar players and their current situations.
Vancouver Canucks’ Bo Horvat and Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane will both be at the top of trade deadline wishlists if they’re made available.
NHL Rumors: Bo Horvat contract
Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat is an intriguing name this season due to his excellent play and contract status as an unrestricted free agent come July.
Horvat, 27, has recorded 17 goals and 24 points in 23 games to date. There’s been plenty of speculation about what Vancouver will do, but if you listen to president Jim Rutherford a trade is a real possibility.
“Our priority is to keep Bo (Horvat),” he said in November. “We recognize what he can do for us. I hope we can sign him but if he keeps playing like this we’re going to get a better return for him.”
So what will it cost to keep him? According to Pierre LeBrun on the latest TSN Insider Trading, something along the lines of what Roope Hintz just received from the Dallas Stars.
Certainly, if you would have put [the] Roope Hintz contract of $8.45 million a year in front of Bo Horvat last summer, I’m confident in saying Bo Horvat would have signed it. Now, I’m not so sure because the marketplace continues to shift. And that’s the big takeaway here – is that after three years of really a frozen marketplace, but now the expectation of a rising cap, these numbers and the term are starting to rise.
Pierre LeBrun, TSN
Hintz, 26, signed an 8-year extension for $8.45 million AAV. He has 24 points in 22 games this season.
NHL Rumors: Patrick Kane watch
Patrick Kane is the most anticipated trade deadline rental in recent memory.
The 34 year-old will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and the Chicago Blackhawks are in full rebuild mode. There’s been some speculation that Kane would be interested in sticking around and help shepherd the transition. However, Elliotte Friedman is not hearing that to be the case.
Good line on Wednesday about Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews: “Right now, there’s more talk from people who can’t make it happen than from people who can.” Expect this to gain traction in the new year, with more clarity on what (or where) both players prefer. On some level, I think Kane in particular would like to take a run at some of Stan Mikita’s franchise records (games played, assists and points). Therefore, there were rumours he might prefer to play out the season in Chicago and decide his future in free agency, but several sources threw cold water on that idea. As you can imagine, there’s been no extension talk in either case.
Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts
Kane leads the team with 17 points (3G – 14A) in 22 games this season. Overall he’s been very good despite the Hawks struggles during their initial phase of the rebuild.
According to DFO’s Frank Seravalli, he believes what Philadelphia landed for Claude Giroux from the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline last season is likely what it’ll take to extract Kane from the Hawks.
Here’s the breakdown of that deal:
To Florida: Claude Giroux (50% cap retained), Connor Bunnaman, German Rubtsov, and a 5th-round pick in 2024
To Philadelphia: Owen Tippett, 1st-round pick 2024, 3rd-round pick 2023
All eyes on Chicago once the New Year rolls around.
