Bo Horvat must be one of the most motivated players in the NHL entering this season.
Entering the sixth and final year of the deal he inked in 2017, he is yet to sign an extension with the Canucks. It would be plucking low-hanging fruit to point out that his performance in this campaign will carry extra significance with that shoe still to drop. A big season could alter the trajectory of how the Canucks, and the league, view him before possibly entering unrestricted free agency.
Despite his optimistic and team-oriented answers to his media availability yesterday, deep down Bo must have a fire burning that his current career production hasn’t gotten his services locked up to an extension. The nuances of Horvat’s game don’t always show up on the stat sheet, as he is such a valuable asset on both ends of the ice. It’s tough to say why this new management group is taking a “show me more” approach with their young captain, in the prime of his career. Maybe it is the cold snaps that have plagued Horvat at times. The larger factor may be the recent signing of JT Miller. With Millers’ 8-million-dollar AAV kicking in next year, there will need to be some creativity with the books to make a Horvat deal work without squeezing the earning power of the rest of the roster.
"The pieces that we added to make this group that much better. I'm excited for it."
🗣 Bo Horvat speaks with the media following Monday's skate in Burnaby pic.twitter.com/twLyQ0Zlym
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 12, 2022
To his credit, he had nothing but great things to say about his teammate and buddy, who just got the deal I’m sure Horvat wants. In an ideal world, the two of them can connect all year and get Bo his new pay cheque while making it work in the grand scheme of things for the Canucks. That seems to be the framework of the current NHL contract structure. Pay the top-end guys everything you can, and make it work down the rest of the lineup. We will see what the Canucks will do, but one thing is for certain. There is a lot on the line for Bo Harvat as the season draws near.