3 blockbuster trade packages for Detroit Red Wings to land Bo Horvat
By Bob Heyrman
Although the Detroit Red Wings find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see general manager Steve Yzerman start to sell off assets ahead of the March 3rd NHL Trade Deadline, especially those players with expiring contracts aside from the few he hopes to retain.
It also wouldn’t surprise anyone if Yzerman elected to trade off said assets and become a buyer in hopes of improving the roster now and in the future. One of those players, Yzerman, may look to buy is Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat. Horvat, 27, a pending free agent, has been at the center of trade talks for months now, and Detroit may be the perfect landing spot for a couple of reasons.
Detroit needs to add a second scoring center to help carry the load and take some pressure off, captain Dylan Larkin. Horvat, who turns 28 years old in April, is a scoring center who has recorded 31 goals and 50 points over 47 games this season for the Canucks. This follows a 31-goal, 52-point campaign in 70 games last season and a 19-goal COVID-19-shortened season the year prior. Also, Detroit could almost serve as a bit of a homecoming for Horvat, who was born and played his junior hockey with the London Knights just two hours up highway 401 from Detroit in Ontario.
I recently explained that the Detroit Red Wings have the assets to land Horvat, and they also have plenty of money to extend him. The million-dollar question remains; is Horvat a player Yzerman feels can push this organization over the top?
Forming three trade offers, the Detroit Red Wings should present Vancouver for Bo Horvat.
We’ll soon find out Yzerman is tight-lipped and as unpredictable as they come, and he holds his cards close to his vest. Of course, the Red Wings already need to extend Larkin, and Horvat will command a similar term. We can address the need but can’t answer if Yzerman feels that the combination of Larkin and Horvat is the combination to build around over the next eight years. But if Yzerman does feel like trading for and extending Horvat is the way to go, here are three competitive trade offers the Detroit Red Wings should consider.