Let Horvat go is the right play

The Vancouver Canucks would do right by passing on signing Bo Horvat for anything over $3 million per year.

WHAT ???

Oh my GOD !! - that's you right now.

Ok, calm down. And let's look at this rationally.

What does Bo Horvat bring to the table here?

For a big guy, 6'2" 235 pounds he couldn't be a softer player.

He doesn't hit.

He doesn't fight.

Doesn't scare anyone.

So there's that. It's a slightly big problem.

Can he put points on the board?

No, not really.

He went without a goal for the last 20 games of the season when they put him up against the big boys on the number one line.

Can he pass the puck?

Mildly ok, I guess. He's alright. He doesn't have great vision.

Maybe a mean streak will develop.

Maybe he'll learn to be a better passer.

Maybe he'll develop a scoring touch.

Gosh that's a lot of maybes.

Don't forget, Horvat was the back bone of a 29th and 28th place team.

Two seasons ago he was -40 or so...

He was a defensive nightmare.

He's a little better last season but not a whole heck of a lot better.

Here's the point: I still don't know what in the hell they've got here with Horvat.

His skating has improved.

He's good in the faceoff dot.

For me, a good skater who can win draws is $3 million per year and not a penny more.

You can't build a team around this guy. You're dreaming in technicolor if you think you can and win a Stanley Cup.

Jared McCann, whom they drafted and dealt away had potential of being a first line centre. Tremendous shot. Wicked temper. Fearless. Tough. But he was small. 

The bottom line is that the Canucks still need to draft a bonafide first line centre.

Until they draft a first line centre - they're just spinning their tires.

By trading Bo Horvat for a couple of first round draft picks in next year's draft (the team trading for Horvat will need to complete a previous deal to get another first round pick to trade to Vancouver along with its own first round pick) the Canucks can load up in next year's draft.

Rasmus Dahlin is available. And getting rid of Horvat allows a higher percentage of landing Dahlin AND the two first round picks allow the Canucks to trade them for a higher First Round pick (possibly adding a sweetener such as Chris Tanev) to get the first line centre they desperately need.

So there's a chance next year they could get the Blue Chip D man they've needed for 50 years and a bonafide true blue gritty balls to the walls centre they've needed for 50 years.

Horvat could improve.

He could become a 30 goals scorer and 40 assists to go with it.

As previously said he could develop a winning mentality.

But there's a reason he went down in his draft year. His ceiling isn't that high.

And if his agent is talking $6 million then you have to cut bait.

You can get pretty much the same thing from Brendan Gaunce without much difficulty.

Granlund is a good second line centre.

They have Sutter, unfortunately, as the third line centre for years to come.

So now's the team to be bold, be courageous, and dump Horvat.

Let's face it - they're going to finish 29th no matter what anyways.

You might as well cut payroll and load up for next year.

You really need to get a dog that hunts. I'm not sure Horvat will ever enjoy the taste of blood.

I just don't think it's in him to fight.

And so risking that kind of money on a kid who doesn't like to hurt people, it's not worth the risk.