Pending UFA Bo Horvat reportedly rejects the Canucks' final offer, refuses to discuss his future
After reports broke that the Canucks had made captain Bo Horvat a ''final offer'' for a new contract, which he rejected, Horvat made it clear that he is focused on this current season. In his statement, which was issued on Tuesday, Horvat stated that he would not speak on contract negotiations for the rest of the season to avoid further distractions to his teammates and the organization.
With this most recent offer and decline from Horvat, this may have been the last effort to re-sign the star centerman and captain. By the looks of it, the Canucks will now seek the best trade package for the point-per-game scorer, who holds tremendous value.
Over the summer and start of the 2022-23 season, their were rumblings that pointed towards the theory that Horvat wanted out of Vancouver. Horvat, who is a free agent at the end of this season, is making it difficult for the Canucks to move on from him as he has 29 points in 28 games this year, including a whopping 20 goals.
After signing forward J.T. Miller to a seven-year $56 million contract ($8 million AAV) in the offseason, it would be difficult to sign Horvat for any less. That's exactly what is believed to have occurred - a low-ball offer that Horvat found insulting.
Horvat has now made it clear that he wants to focus on being a Canuck, which is usually player-talk for "we'll see", which is often not a good sign when it comes to pending UFAs. After a slow start to the season, the Canucks sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 12-13-3 record and Horvat is focused on getting his team back on track.
Despite the concerns from the fanbase, Horvat has emphasized he does not want his personal negotiations to be made public or be a distraction to his teammates for the rest of the season, hence he will not speak on the subject again.
His intentions are evident, and he is done speaking about his future with the organization until the offseason. With their current cap space, it's unlikely the Canucks will be able to offer Horvat what he is looking for, especially if he continues his stellar play for the remainder of the season. We very well may be watching Horvat price himself out of Vancouver in real time.
Credit: hockeydb.com
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 13 | 143 ANSWERS Pending UFA Bo Horvat reportedly rejects the Canucks' final offer, refuses to discuss his future Will Horvat and the Canucks be able to sort this out? Will he be traded? Will he become a UFA this summer? | ||
| He'll re-sign with the Canucks | 30 | 21 % |
| The Canucks will trade the captain | 78 | 54.5 % |
| He'll walk as a UFA this summer | 35 | 24.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
