Friedman: Horvat Talks Intensifying [Update: Jan 20, 2023 - #679]

[The Crypto Guy]

9 Million? On what planet?

 

[Canucks LB]

Horvat might end up a better offensive player than ROR, but I think he's got a ways to go to come close to the defensive impact.

Both have shown they are great in the playoffs as well, Of course Horvat with a smaller sample size.
I still remember that Horvat vs Blues Series, He was ridiculous both sides of the ice.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

9 million has to be coming from a team like Buffalo.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I can absolutely see some team who is desperate for a center give Horvat 9m.
CBJ are the most obvious team

Oof, can you imagine CBJ desperation trading their 2023 first, only for it to turn out to be Bedard?

 

[Matty Sundin]

He’s having a good season but oh man he’s gonna get overpaid.

 

[Love]

These comments subtly comparing him to ROR or asking if he’s worth $9 mil aav are unhelpful when evaluating Horvat. He is not ROR and not worth $9 mil.

He isn’t the defensively responsible centre that many thought he’d be when he was drafted. Not that he’s bad but he’s not even the best on the Canucks. If he’s your 1C you won’t win the cup, but if he’s your 2C behind a guy like MacKinnon, then you’re in great shape. He’s a great faceoff guy, very good goal scorer (even before this season and last, keep in mind he played with Tanner Pearson and Loui Eriksson for years and was still a ~30 goal ~60 point centre), and is the ideal complimentary piece. He’s also great on the PP in that net front/bumper spot. He can eat a lot of tough minutes and is obviously well liked/respected/trusted by teammates and coaches.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Both have shown they are great in the playoffs as well, Of course Horvat with a smaller sample size.
I still remember that Horvat vs Blues Series, He was ridiculous both sides of the ice.

If the Avs were healthy I'd be all for a Horvat acquisition. I think he'd look great. I just feel his defensive game has been exaggerated based on draft expectations. However, I do think his offensive game has evolved.

 

[BB88]

Man we need to trade Horvat now before he comes back to earth come on Alvin sell high !!

That’s not how Vancouver rolls

 

[lomiller1]

Offering $9m is steep, but surely $5.125m is a ridiculous low ball.

Seems about right to me given his overall career numbers and the age he'll be by the end of the contract. In fact it may even be considered and overpay in the second half.

 

[UrbanImpact]

i suspect CBJ is the team that is willing to pay him 9 mil.

There's no way CBJ wastes prime years of Laine and Gaudreau without an actual top flight centre on the team.

 

[McJedi]

With what Norris, Thomas and Kyrou have gotten I have no idea why Horvat wouldn’t get that at UFA. Kadri got 7x7 at his age.

Horvat signs an $8mm x 8 year deal or if he can only get seven years. 7 x $8.33mm?

Sound realistic?

 

[Canucks LB]

One thing that needs to be mentioned about Horvat is that other than Bergeron, He might be the best Faceoff guy in the NHL, Nasty in the dot.
I wonder if his defensive game is gonna round out over time, Would be a special player if he ever did.

 

[BKarchitect]

Columbus makes sense from an on-ice perspective but what is their cap like heading into the next few years? Plenty of space to pay Horvat as your #1 franchise center for the foreseeable future?

 

[lomiller1]

9 is wayyy too high but he gets an easy 8+ on the market

He'll certainly get 8+, and it's certainly going to be a contract the team regrets very very quickly.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

9 Million? On what planet?

On the planet known as top UFA center

 

[Srsly]

At the age of 27 ROR put up 77 points in 82 games, which was good for 19th among all centers

He also won the Selke and Conn Smythe that season so.....

To be totally fair to Bo that was also RORs breakout season and he was pretty comparable to him up until that point. That said Horvat will need to continue to build on his hot start to prove that he’s breaking out as well.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

On the planet known as top UFA center

Oh. Sounds like a cool planet, i’d live there.

 

[Gurglesons]

Horvat likely signs an $8mm x 8 deal or if he can only get seven years. 7 x $8.33mm?

Sound realistic?

Probably. I could see him hitting 9. He’s proven he’s a playoff caliber top six center in his two runs. And is basically good for 30 goals a year plus 50-60 point.

 

[thefutures]

They offered him 5 million LOL. The same team that pays Myers 6 million. Vancouver org has never been good to Bo, from stapling Tanner pearson to his wing to this.

 

[Fogelhund]

Columbus is most likely the team. They definitely have the need, and should do what it takes to make cap space available. Moving their first this year... that's pretty problematic though. The 2024, that's less of an issue. They've got some trade currency in Gavirkov, and perhaps one of the RD as well.

 

[McJedi]

Probably. I could see him hitting 9. He’s proven he’s a playoff caliber top six center in his two runs. And is basically good for 30 goals a year plus 50-60 point.

Wow. $9mm x 7 or 8 years would be hard for Vancouver to allocate with their cap issues.

He’s doing a Kadri. Having a monster contract season. Dude is an animal in the faceoff dot. Vancouver should have ample trade opportunities if they pivot down that path with Horvat.

 

[Viqsi]

Oof, can you imagine CBJ desperation trading their 2023 first, only for it to turn out to be Bedard?

That would be why we've consistently said that the 2023 1st is not available in a trade. Not that we're getting Bedard anyways, but Kekalainen isn't that stupid.

 

[UrbanImpact]

One thing that needs to be mentioned about Horvat is that other than Bergeron, He might be the best Faceoff guy in the NHL, Nasty in the dot.
I wonder if his defensive game is gonna round out over time, Would be a special player if he ever did.

I'm still puzzled how people keep trying to put Horvat into this mold type of player that he just is not.

He is great on faceoffs , yes, very good. but thats about it in terms of comparisons to Bergeron or ROR.

Horvat is not a 200 ft 2 way Centre. He just is not.

I've never seen someone so mis-casted

Horvat is a 1A/1B scoring Centre who is dominant in faceoffs.

He is not great defensively, he is average to below average on PK and he certainly wont be successful as a matchup Centre.

What u can expect from him is Goals, faceoffs, deflections , greasy goals around the crease. He is very good around the net.

 

[SniperOnTheWing]

It really is amazing how often GMs will line up to throw stacks of cash at older players coming off career years.

 

[McVespa99]

Ouch, I just hope it isn't my team. Someone getting burned bad overpaying Horvat is almost a dead certainty at this point, teams need to stay as far away as possible.

Thank god the Oilers dont have cap for that. Whatever team pays him 9+ and thinks they will get the player of this year as opposed to the player he has always been will regret the signing. This year is the outlier, not the previous 8 years where he is at best a 25G-35A guy