The Vancouver Canucks and restricted free agent Bo Horvat are closing in on a long-term contract extension, per TSN hockey insiders Bob McKenzie and Pierre LeBrun.
According to LeBrun, the deal will be for six years and it’ll come with an annual average value of $5.5 million ($33 million total).
Update: The Canucks made the announcement official via their Twitter account.
“Bo has quickly become a foundational player on our team and we’re thrilled for him to be a part of what we’re building here long term,” GM Jim Benning said in a release. “His commitment and work ethic have helped his game improve each season. He’s already a leader on our team and a young player fans can be excited to watch for years to come.”
Horvat was the only player on the Canucks’ roster to finish the season with 20 goals. The 22-year-old also led the team in scoring, as he accumulated 52 points in 81 games.
The new contract makes Horvat the fourth-highest paid player on the team behind the Sedins ($7 million each) and Loui Eriksson ($6 million).
The 6-year/$33M bar for Bo was set in June when Drouin signed in Montreal. Dynamic 22-year-old players with offensive potential. https://t.co/6qt3BGpPXW
— Ben Kuzma 🇺🇦 (@benkuzma) September 8, 2017
“It’s a great feeling to be able to continue my career for six more seasons in Vancouver and I’m grateful to the Aquilini family and Canucks management group for making this possible,” Horvat said. “Since being drafted by the Canucks, I have been welcomed by fans with open arms and I’m incredibly proud and fortunate to call this city and province home. I couldn’t be more excited to help this team win.”
The move means that the Canucks now have 15 forwards under contract for the upcoming season. Vancouver also has over $1.987 million in salary cap space.