Look away Vancouver Canucks fans, things are about to go from bad to worse.
It’s no secret that changes are coming for the Canucks. Core players, most notably Brock Boeser, have been rumored to be on the trade block for quite some time. It seems even more likely now that the players that fans have come to associate with Vancouver will soon be playing elsewhere.
A new blow was dealt to Canucks fans this week when captain Bo Horvat rejected a contract offer from the only NHL team he’s known.
Further to @DhaliwalSports’s report, told that the Canucks made Horvat’s camp the new contract offer a couple of weeks ago. With the offer rejected, Canucks focused on the trade market between now and March 3 https://t.co/7aWU39ucCD
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 12, 2022
Despite Horvat’s team-leading 20 goals and his 29 points that rank second among Canucks skaters, Vancouver is 12-13-3. Things have certainly gotten better throughout this season, but this is still an underachieving team, and it has been just that for years.
Where should the Canucks trade Bo Horvat?
It’s disappointing that things never materialized for Vancouver. A trip to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to face the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020 gave fans a reason to think that a new version of the Canucks had arrived.
Unfortunately, that remains their only postseason appearance since losing to the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2015 playoffs.
Now, the attention shifts from how the Canucks can become contenders to how they’ll go about trading one of the faces of the franchise. Fans will eagerly watch to learn Horvat’s next NHL home and how his current team can obtain enough assets to positively shape its future.
There won’t be any shortage when it comes to interest in Horvat, a player who has skated in 600 NHL contests. Over the course of nine seasons, all with the Canucks, he has tallied 190 goals and 205 assists for 395 points.
His career-high offensively came during the 2018-2019 campaign when he notched 27 goals and 34 assists (61 points) in 82 games.
With all of that said, here are three teams that could be potential landing spots for the 27-year-old Canucks captain.