Does Bo Horvat Make Sense For The Bruins?
It feels like only a matter of time before the Canucks trade Bo Horvat. With the Bruins in last dance mode, could Boston become the most aggressive suitor for the Canucks captain? While a trade with Colorado feels the most likely, it’s very possible the Bruins come out winners in the trade sweepstakes.
The window is now for Boston. With Patrice Bergeron in the final year of his deal playing at the top of his game, the Bruins owe it to him and the entire fan base to go all in. The Bruins already have the best record in the NHL (29-4-4). Imagine adding a second line center like Horvat to the equation.
The best teams are always strong down the middle. Imagine if Charlie Coyle is your 4th line center. Come playoff time, that’s going to be a wrecking ball. Furthermore, trading for Horvat almost extends your window in a way. When Bergeron calls it quits, you already have his replacement in-house. That is assuming Boston is smart enough to sign him to an extension immediately after the trade as they did with Hampus Lindholm.
That could really be the important part. This Bruins window closes when Bergeron walks out the door. Is David Krejci going to call it quits too after the year? Who the hell is David Pastrnak going to play with? Dealing for Horvat could create a lot of certainty for Pastrnak who also needs a contract.
The Bruins are already a firecracker but I’m not sure anybody is having more of a career year than Horvat. The Canucks captain already has 28 goals in 37 games which is just three shy of his career high which was set last year. It’s adding a lot of potential offensive firepower to a team that really doesn’t have another dominant goal scorer other than Pasta. Jake DeBrusk is the next highest goal scorer at 16 and he’s now out with a broken fibula.
Who knows how long DeBrusk is out for? However, Horvat feels like a pretty logical solution when it comes to being tasked with replacing him. Pasta could move back to the top line where the perfection line always dominates while Horvat could form a potential one-two punch with Taylor Hall. Krejci’s playmaking is also there to be utilized on the powerplay.
The Bruins are in total last dance mode. Landing a big fish like Bo Horvat could be the difference in lifting the Stanley Cup. It remains to be seen how aggressive the Bruins are come deadline time. Nevertheless, Horvat in Boston makes a ton of sense.
