The Canucks are hopeful to get a contract in place for Bo Horvat within the next week, GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver (audio link). He classified recent discussions as “going well” and that progress was made on a deal last week.
Horvat is one of the most prominent remaining restricted free agents after a season that saw him record 52 points (20-32-52) in 81 games to lead the team in scoring. With the Sedin twins nearing the end of their careers, the 22-year-old is set to lead Vancouver’s forward group for years to come so it’s likely that a long-term deal is still being targeted. There were suggestions late last week that a bridge deal was all but done but Canucks team president Trevor Linden denied that a short-term pact was in place. Cap space shouldn’t be a factor as the team still has more than $5MM in room to work with per CapFriendly (an amount that will go up as their roster size shrinks closer to 23).
More from the West:
- David Staples of the Edmonton Journal takes a closer look at Edmonton offseason acquisition Yohann Auvitu who is expected to push for a roster spot at camp, especially with Andrej Sekera still out for a few more months. Auvitu split last season between New Jersey and their AHL affiliate and while his defensive game wasn’t the greatest, his mobility and puck moving ability could fit in well with an Oilers team that is filled with skill and a lot of up-tempo players.
- Although the Stars have added a more defensive-minded coach in Ken Hitchcock as well as Marc Methot in a trade with the Golden Knights, Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert opines that Dallas could still be a bit too thin defensively, at least when it comes to impact players. Depth at the back of the depth chart shouldn’t be an issue with players like Jamie Oleksiak and Greg Pateryn in the fold but another impact blueliner would certainly be helpful. However, they’re capped out so they will hope that a youngster like Stephen Johns and Julius Honka can take on bigger roles while veteran Dan Hamhuis will be counted on to rebound from a quiet season.