Bo Horvat drawing curiosity from Bruins, a lot of contenders

Report: B’s among several teams with interest in Horvat before trade deadline initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have hit their first rough patch of the 2022-23 NHL season.

We will debate how “tough” it is truly been, however they’ve misplaced three consecutive video games for the primary time all yr. Via the primary 50 video games, the Bruins’ chemistry has been unbelievable, the goaltending has been significantly better than anticipated and so many gamers up and down the roster are having profession seasons.

Regardless of the current shedding streak, Boston nonetheless ranks No. 2 in targets scored, No. 1 in targets allowed and leads the league standings by 9 factors over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Bruins have a powerful locker room, so making a transfer or two on the commerce deadline is not prone to alter their staff chemistry in a adverse approach.

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The preferred title on the commerce market is Bo Horvat. The Vancouver Canucks captain is having one of the best season of his profession with 54 factors (31 targets, 23 assists) in 49 video games. The 27-year-old heart is within the ultimate yr of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free company this summer season.

The Bruins are one in every of many contending groups which have proven curiosity in Horvat, per Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

“Carolina, Colorado, Seattle, Vegas, Boston, Dallas and the New York Rangers have all expressed curiosity in Horvat, and there have been others,” Pagnotta wrote Sunday. “The worth tag stays excessive, however it seems like progress is being made and my spidey senses are tingling.”

The Bruins’ curiosity in Horvat didn’t start throughout this season, per Each day Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

“No secret — this isn’t the primary time that the Bruins and Horvat have been linked,” Servalli said Friday on Daily Faceoff Live. “I feel their curiosity in Horvat truly goes again a full calendar yr. They’re one of many groups that is form of very quietly been maintaining tabs on Horvat, even earlier than this magical season that he is had.”

Horvat would give the Bruins one other top-six ahead and enhance their scoring depth for what they hope will likely be a protracted playoff run within the spring. He would even be an incredible alternative for Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci as a top-six heart each time these franchise legends resolve to retire. So, there’s positively a short- and long-term case to make for the Bruins including Horvat.

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However, as we’ve written about several times in current weeks, pulling off that sort of commerce could possibly be powerful for the Bruins. They do not have a ton of high quality commerce property. The B’s prospect pool is among the weakest in the league and so they do not personal a second-round choose in 2023 or 2024. The wage cap may trigger some complications, too. The Bruins are tight in opposition to the cap proper now. Additionally they have greater than 10 gamers on their present roster eligible totally free company within the offseason. David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic are among the many notable gamers who will want raises.

The Bruins have been fairly lively on the commerce deadline since Don Sweeney took over as normal supervisor in the summertime of 2015. He is been notably aggressive in including forwards round this time of the season, with Rick Nash, Charlie Coyle and Taylor Hall amongst notable examples.

Boston has a unbelievable alternative to win one other Stanley Cup in 2023. Due to this fact, Sweeney can be sensible to be aggressive in on the lookout for roster upgrades forward of the March 3 commerce deadline.