NHL Rumor Mill – September 13, 2022
The latest on Bo Horvat’s contract negotiations with the Canucks plus speculation about Brendan Gallagher’s future with the Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST ON HORVAT’S CONTRACT TALKS
VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: Rob Simpson reports Canucks captain Bo Horvat said he’s leaving contract negotiations with his agent and team management. He said he loves playing for the Canucks and he and his family love living in Vancouver. However, he acknowledged this is a lengthy process.
Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat (NHL Images).
Horvat and his agent, Pat Morris, are declining to discuss details of the contract talks with the media. Nevertheless, Simpson suggests this could lead to speculation and become a potential distraction if no deal is in place before the season opens on Oct. 12.
THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reminds us that Horvat has a year remaining on his current contract. He’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The 27-year-old center offered up no deadline for the completion of his talks.
Horvat also indicated he’s fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered at the end of last season. While he understands there will be plenty of speculation over his future, he said his focus for the coming season is helping the Canucks win.
SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reports Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin wants to sign Horvat to a contract extension. However, he offered neither optimism nor pessimism when questioned about it last week following the club’s signing J.T. Miller to a long-term extension.
MacIntyre speculates Horvat should be more affordable to sign, adding the Canucks have the cap space to retain him. He anticipates he’ll get a raise from $5.5 million to $7 million annually on his next deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could take time for the Canucks and Horvat’s agent to hammer out an agreement. Perhaps those talks will carry over into the coming season.
Nevertheless, we should probably take any speculation over the status of Horvat’s talks or his future in Vancouver with a grain of salt. Miller was a fixture in the rumor mill for months amid reports of little contract discussion throughout this summer yet his new deal ultimately came together pretty quickly. The same thing could happen with Horvat.
ARE THE CANADIENS TRYING TO SHOP GALLAGHER?
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan observed Brendan Gallagher has five seasons left on his six-year, $39-million contract. Should Gallagher rebound from last season’s disappointing, injury-plagued performance, there’s a very good chance Canadiens GM Kent Hughes will trade the 30-year-old winger if he can find a partner.
Cowan speculates Hughes is “probably already trying to trade Gallagher as the Canadiens look to rebuild with youth and gain salary-cap space.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Cowan noted, Gallagher’s best seasons are probably behind him now. Injuries have hampered him in recent years and affected his performance.
A healthy, productive Gallagher will still be difficult to trade. He’s carrying an average annual value of $6.5 million through 2026-27 with a no-movement clause that ensures he cannot be demoted and a six-team no-trade list.
Gallagher will be staying in Montreal unless Hughes is willing to retain part of his cap hit, include a sweetener like a quality draft pick or prospect, or take back an expensive contract in return.
Always questioned that Gallagher signing. Heart and soul type player but is that worth 6.5 ? You can thank the ghost of xmas past in Marc Bergeron for that one. Gallagher will get injured annually for the type of game he plays and his physical stature. Napoleon syndrome . A team would be interested at $3.5
Many Habs fans questioned the signing too, SS. Bergevin was Jeckll and Hyde with his signings, essentially telling Markov to go fish, yet over reacting when negotiations hit a snag with Rally.
Gally will be good for the team for this year, with his heart and soul approach a good model for the Habs young players. But next year …
I’m interested to see what St. Louis does with Gallagher. He talks about players evolving. No reason Gallagher can’t and still be a leader…
Habs have a lot of RW on their roster: Gallagher, Caufield, Armia, Anderson, Dadonov
do they plan on playing Caufield at LW this year to balance the lines?
Dadonov or Anderson will be at LW. Caufield will stay at RW.
They’d have an easier time trading a 79′ Pinto than getting rid of Gallagher. Wait to the next buy out period and painfully pull the plug.
Dadonov in last year of contract seems most likely trade candidate. Never understood why they aquired him for Webers contract unless they planned on buying him out or flipping him. Also, Caulfield is listed as LW/RW. Which side did he primarily play last season?
Gallagher plus 2nd to wings for Bertuzzi. Considering the talent Wings have in pipeline, and the likelihood that next contract with Bertuzzi could be a distraction, I’d take Gallagher in a minute. Great in the locker room, and him and Perron would have heads spinning during games. Don’t see it happening until late training camp, evaluation of young stock
Wingnut,
I give you an offer that will make YOUR head swim:
Since Stevie and Army have become good trading partners:
Tarasenko and Scandella for Bertuzzi, Chiarot, and a 3rd.
IP
Iowa Prince
Yeah no thanks, I doubt Tarasenko would even waive for Detroit. Scandella has negative value. Tarasenko and Scandella for Bertuzzi+Chiarot+3rd round pick. Detroit losses that trade pretty easily. And Yzerman always fleeces the other teams
Iowa Prince, the Wings have no interest in Tarasenko + Scandella for Bertuzzi, let alone give up Chiarot and a 3rd. St Louis is trying to dump Scandella and his contract, and isn’t Tarasenko a UFA after the season ? No thank you.
I think bertuzzi could garner a much better return from a cup contender at deadline.
Chrisms
Detroit should at least get a young roster player of similar capabilities plus a 1st or 2nd round pick/B prospect for Bertuzzi with 50% retention at the trade deadline. Even more if they do a sign and trade to the new team.
Sign and trades very unusual. Bert would have to sign for 8 years knowing he was going to a team he was comfortable with. Which limits competition for his services. If Steve signed him the. Dealt him somewhere he didn’t want to go that would reflect so poorly on Steve he would find future negotiations with other players so much harder. No he would go as a rental and a first plus would be likely.
Wingnut
You seem to forget that Bertuzzi can’t play in Canada, But i’d do Gallagher and a 2nd rounder for Bertuzzi in a heartbeat. Though i doubt Yzerman wants a smallish winger like Gallagher after signing bigger wingers like Copp, Perron and Kubalik.
You seem to forget that Bertuzzi can’t play in Canada. LOL
Bert needs to go to a Metro team because they play the least number of games in Covid fearing Canada.
In 2020 in the US there were over 500,000 deaths due to covid, JohnnyZ. Still, laugh it off.
And they’re still dying at a rate that shouldn’t be, simply because hospitals and staff are overwhelmed.
And just to set the record straight, I travel to the US a couple times a year. I couldn’t get in without proof of vaccination the last 2 times.
So unless I am missing something, or the it has changed, the policy of the 2 countries is the same.
Just sayin’.
It hasn’t changed, Ray. So I guess the USA is just as COVID-fearing as Canada…;)
https://jp.usembassy.gov/us-travel-requirements/#VaccineRequirements
Hey Joe would like to see the bruins grab Virtanen sign him to a contract just grab the guy he’s already with the except of about six players, better or as good as any of the other players on the bruins squad.
I find it ironic that the first update today is about Horvat (soon to be 28) and his pending new contract that will likely be in the $7M, multi-year range.
Then the next update is about Gallagher’s untradeable ($6.5M annually x 5 years) for a guy who’s already 30.
When will GMs learn about handing out high dollar, big term deals for guys in or entering their 30’s? Seems they continue to pay for past performance rather than the expected (realistic) future performance.
We’ll probably be on this site in 3-4 years making guesses on how Vancouver can get out of Horvat’s albatross contract.
Your 👄 to gods 👂