Hurricanes have held trade talks with Canucks on Horvat

The Carolina Hurricanes are among the suitors for Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat, but no trade appears close.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Hurricanes have held trade talks with the Canucks on Horvat, but the price remains too high as of now.

"The Canucks continue to explore what the trade market looks like for, really, their No. 1 guy that could be dealt; that’s Bo Horvat, the captain," LeBrun said on Insider Trading Tuesday. "He’s having a career year and they’ve pretty much checked in with almost every contender. One of them being, I’m told, the Carolina Hurricanes. A lot of people like the Hurricanes as a fit for Horvat. Remember, Carolina struggled offensively in the playoffs last year. Well, what a boost it could be. And he skates, which is what that team is about in terms of speed. But the price is too steep, I think, for the Hurricanes at this point.

"As we reported last month, the Canucks would want a young centre as part of a multi-asset package. They’re not getting Martin Necas from the Hurricanes. Carolina doesn’t spend high on rentals traditionally. I don’t think they’ll break that path here for Bo Horvat. So, we’ll see where this goes."

The NHL trade deadline remains just over six weeks away and Horvat's future with the Canucks appears to be very much in question as the team remains outside the playoff picture.

Carolina currently sits atop the Metropolitan Division with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. According to CapFriendly, the Hurricanes currently have just over $3 million in cap space and the team still owns its first-round pick in each of the next three drafts.

With 30 goals and 48 points through just 43 games this season, Horvat is expected to command a substantial raise as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Canucks president Jim Rutherford admitted Monday that the team's contract offer to Horvat has been based on his previous success, and is not a reflection of the season he's having.

"We, I believe, have taken our best shot, and the contract that we have on the table for Bo right now, I think, is a fair contract for what he's done up until this year," Rutherford said. "But it's certainly under market value for what he's done this year. So, we're in a pickle here.

"He's had a career year, a career run, and he's looking for his money. He deserves it. I don't blame him."

Playing out the final season of a six-year, $33 million deal that carries a cap hit of $5.5 million, trade rumours have surrounded Horvat throughout the season, with the centre releasing a statement last month that he would not be commenting on his future.

Rutherford said Monday that he believes Vancouver needs "major surgery" as he pursues a "retool" to make the team a contender once again.

"I still believe in the core and I still believe that we have a lot of good players, but with that, when I talk about major surgery, well, there could be core players that have to move out," he said. "It may be the way, it may be the only way that we can get significant players back where you take a core player, and you can get a good, young center and a good right-shot defenceman. It may be the only way to do it."

Horvat has spent his entire career with the Canucks since being selected ninth overall in the 2013 draft.