The Canucks “we’re not looking to trade Bo Horvat” t-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by their shirt…

Statement from Bo Horvat through the team pic.twitter.com/QfHqDe8UYJ
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 13, 2022

That certainly has all the signs of a player being available for trade and while Horvat will not be cheap to acquire and he most definitely will be expensive to retain beyond this season, Horvat is an intriguing option for the Leafs as well as pretty much any other playoff bound team this season. Horvat’s $5.5M contract this season is a bargain considering he has 20 goals, 29 points in 28 games so far this year. If the Canucks are willing to retain on that $5.5M, they should easily be able to gather the typical 1st round pick, prospect, and young roster player package typically associated with this caliber of player. It’s just a matter of whether or not that payment is worth it for a team that won’t have a chance at re-signing Horvat.
Elliotte Friedman reported that Horvat was offered a contract with an AAV in the $7M range from the Canucks. This is definitely on the lower side of what he’d get on the open market and a long term deal around $8.5M AAV seems far more likely. How many teams can plan for that when there is uncertainty around th …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation