According to <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie/status/905394059388350464">Bob McKenzie</a>, the Canucks and Restricted Free Agent Bo Horvat and closing in on a six- or seven-year contract worth more than $5 million annually. Last week, it was reported by <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN1040/status/903659920268169216">Jason Botchford</a> that Horvat would be signing a bridge deal coming out if entry-level contract, though his <a href="https://twitter.com/DhaliwalSports/status/903663101429506048">agent denied that claim</a>.

Horvat is coming off of his third season in the NHL in which he put up a career-high and team-leading 20 goals and 52 points. His season was good enough to land him a spot on the Pacific Division&#8217;s All-Star squad, but there are still questions as to whether Horvat is the marquee, play driving, top line player that you can build a successful franchise around.
The idea of a bridge deal made sense for the Canucks because the Sedin twins are entering the final season of their respective contracts and a two- or three-year contract would allow the front office to determine whether or not Horvat was capable of filling their shoes adequately. That said, if Horvat did sign a shorter term contract and developed into a star player, he would command a much, much bigger salary on his third deal than what the Canucks could get him for right now.
A six- or seven-year deal worth somewhere between $5.5-$6.5 million annually has been the standard for good forwards with draft pedigree coming off of their entry-level deals in the past few years. Sean Monahan, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sasha Barkov, to name a few, were handed similar contracts to the one McKenzie suggested Horvat may receive. That said, Leon Draisaitl&#8217;s mammoth eight-year, $68 million contract in Edmonton might have tipped the scales for productive forwards negotiating their second contracts.

According to <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie/status/905394059388350464">Bob McKenzie</a>, the Canucks and Restricted Free Agent Bo Horvat and closing in on a six- or seven-year contract worth more than $5 million annually. Last week, it was reported by <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN1040/status/903659920268169216">Jason Botchford</a> that Horvat would be signing a bridge deal coming out if entry-level contract, though his <a href="https://twitter.com/DhaliwalSports/status/903663101429506048">agent denied that claim</a>.



Horvat is coming off of his third season in the NHL in which he put up a career-high and team-leading 20 goals and 52 points. His season was good enough to land him a spot on the Pacific Division's All-Star squad, but there are still questions as to whether Horvat is the marquee, play driving, top line player that you can build a successful franchise around.

The idea of a bridge deal made sense for the Canucks because the Sedin twins are entering the final season of their respective contracts and a two- or three-year contract would allow the front office to determine whether or not Horvat was capable of filling their shoes adequately. That said, if Horvat did sign a shorter term contract and developed into a star player, he would command a much, much bigger salary on his third deal than what the Canucks could get him for right now.

A six- or seven-year deal worth somewhere between $5.5-$6.5 million annually has been the standard for good forwards with draft pedigree coming off of their entry-level deals in the past few years. Sean Monahan, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sasha Barkov, to name a few, were handed similar contracts to the one McKenzie suggested Horvat may receive. That said, Leon Draisaitl's mammoth eight-year, $68 million contract in Edmonton might have tipped the scales for productive forwards negotiating their second contracts.

McKenzie: Canucks and Horvat working on deal north of five years, $5 million annually

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