Has anything changed for the future of Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat after the team hired a new coach and extended Andrei Kuzmenko?
The Vancouver Canucks' shambolic coaching change earlier this week briefly overshadowed the trade rumors dogging center Bo Horvat. With Rick Tocchet finally hired as the coach, the focus returns to management's plans for their 27-year-old captain.
Before Tocchet's hiring, Sportsnet's Jeff Marek reported the Canucks' asking price for Horvat is three players, including a top prospect. Elliotte Friedman believed they're trying to narrow down potential suitors to those willing to meet that price or continue discussions about it. He also didn't believe the Canucks are allowing teams to talk contract with the pending free-agent center.
Friedman didn't indicate which clubs could be interested in Horvat. However, he had previously mentioned the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils and Seattle Kraken. During Monday's 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman also wondered if the Detroit Red Wings could be interested should they fail to work out a contract extension with Dylan Larkin.
The Toronto Star's Nick Kypreos also mentioned the Devils as a destination for Horvat. He added the Dallas Stars could be among those aggressively pursuing the Canucks center.
CHEK-TV's Rick Dhaliwal reported Monday the Canucks were still considering ways to re-sign him. He said the two sides held discussions over the weekend, adding the club wanted to see how things work between their captain and their new coach.
That may have changed following the Canucks signing winger Andrei Kuzmenko on Thursday to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5.5 million. The Province's Ben Kuzma believes their limited cap space for 2023-24 means it's very clear they'll have to move on from Horvat.