Canucks prospect Bo Horvat primed for rookie showcase

[Baggins]

Good point. I didn't realize guys like Matthias or Vey were on one way contracts. Thanks for pointing that out.

It doesn't matter whether they're on a one way or two way contract. That only determines what they get paid. A player on a one way contract still collects his NHL salary if sent to the AHL. A player on a two way contract only gets NHL salary for games played in the NHL and a much lower salary if playing in the AHL. A player can have a two way contract and still be waiver eligible.

What determines waiver eligibility is a combination of their age when they sign their first contract, current age, and NHL games played.

There's a link to capgeek below. Put your mouse over the pink box with the red x to the right of the players name. You'll see that every player listed is waiver eligible. Sanguinetti isn't listed there but he's also waiver eligible.

http://www.capgeek.com/canucks/

Edit:

Here's a link that explains waiver edibility - http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-waiver-rules/

[GreyHatnDart]

It doesn't matter whether they're on a one way or two way contract. That only determines what they get paid. A player on a one way contract still collects his NHL salary if sent to the AHL. A player on a two way contract only gets NHL salary for games played in the NHL and a much lower salary if playing in the AHL. A player can have a two way contract and still be waiver eligible.

What determines waiver eligibility is a combination of their age when they sign their first contract, current age, and NHL games played.

There's a link to capgeek below. Put your mouse over the pink box with the red x to the right of the players name. You'll see that every player listed is waiver eligible. Sanguinetti isn't listed there but he's also waiver eligible.

http://www.capgeek.com/canucks/

Edit:

Here's a link that explains waiver edibility - http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-waiver-rules/

Interesting. I totally misunderstood the way that worked. Thank you sir, I'll do some reading

[aGENT]

To get a 9 game look a vet will have to be injured to start the season. If you look at the number of forwards one would have to be put through waivers or traded to open a spot. Barring injury he'll either make the team or be returned to junior. I don't see them moving a vet just to give him a look.

Sedin/Sedin/Vrbata

Burrows/Bonino/Kassian

Higgins/Mattias/Vey

Dorsett/Richardson/Hansen

Sestito

All of these forwards are waiver eligible. The typical setup in the past has been 13 forwards and 8 d-men on the active roster.

Bottom 6 should be:

Higgins, Vey, Hansen

Matthias, Richardson, Dorsett IMO

As for Bo, I'm waiting to reserve judgment until he's both got his legs under him and he's playing with pros in the preseason.

With a better showing then, he'd be easy to squeeze in with either an injury (all but guaranteed) or heck, waive Sestito.

In that case, you simply swap Dorsett out (unless we're playing goons) and Bo gets his 9 games. Reevaluate then.

[Baggins]

Another year in junior wouldn't be the end of the world, but it just means setting his development back a year. He needs his shifts shortened and his speed up. As long as Richardson is gone next summer, there's room for Horvat to start his pro career as a Canuck.

I don't buy that all. He can still improve his game in junior. It could actually hurt his development and confidence rushing him in before he's ready. We're not a team that's in a desperate position so there's no need to rush him in. There's several other prospect forwards who are AHL eligible (Shink, Jensen, Gaunce, Fox, Lain) that can be used this year. Next year Horvat and Cassels will be AHL eligible. Patience Grasshopper.

[nuck nit]

Bottom 6 should be:

Higgins, Vey, Hansen

Matthias, Richardson, Dorsett IMO

.... heck, waive Sestito.

In that case, you simply swap Dorsett out (unless we're playing goons) and Bo gets his 9 games.

Benning traded for Dorsett to replace Sestitio.

Your bottom 6 looks good.

When is the last time this team rolled out four competitive lines?

[Erik Karlsson]

Bo needs a lot more time to develop..

[73 Percent]

Bo needs a lot more time to develop..

i had a post very similar to this last night.I even mentioned the malhotra thing. Got flamed hard. I wish you the best of luck friend.

Edit:Bah you edited you post before I could quote.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I don't buy that all. He can still improve his game in junior. It could actually hurt his development and confidence rushing him in before he's ready. We're not a team that's in a desperate position so there's no need to rush him in. There's several other prospect forwards who are AHL eligible (Shink, Jensen, Gaunce, Fox, Lain) that can be used this year. Next year Horvat and Cassels will be AHL eligible. Patience Grasshopper.

It wouldn't hurt him either way. It just depends on when we want him to start becoming a Canuck.

[Erik Karlsson]

i had a post very similar to this last night.I even mentioned the malhotra thing. Got flamed hard. I wish you the best of luck friend.

Edit:Bah you edited you post before I could quote.

Hahaha yeah, forgot this was CDC and being realistic here is frowned upon.

[canacks1970]

TBH,I can't remember. The 80's were a long time ago for me.

However,the process is explained in great detail with various players and NHL GM's in this informative NHL.com article which includes the basics:

The NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for nine games at the start of the regular season during which a player on his entry-level contract can be evaluated. The player can be returned to his junior team without his contract kicking in at any point before the player dresses for his 10th game.

If the player skates in more than nine games, he still can be returned to his junior team, but the first year of his contract goes into effect and the player could reach free agency at an accelerated pace. Plus, once sent down after the nine-game mark, he can't be recalled during that season, except under emergency conditions.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=687400

Some teams need to sell tickets,some marginal teams need to fill a hole on a roster. Some kids are deemed 'ready' and some are not for every reason under the sun. Sakic was sent back and although Stamkos played at 18 he himself was unsure he should be playing in the NHL. Interesting read.

Thank you Nuck Nit. Very imformative.

[aGENT]

I don't buy that all. He can still improve his game in junior. It could actually hurt his development and confidence rushing him in before he's ready. We're not a team that's in a desperate position so there's no need to rush him in. There's several other prospect forwards who are AHL eligible (Shink, Jensen, Gaunce, Fox, Lain) that can be used this year. Next year Horvat and Cassels will be AHL eligible. Patience Grasshopper.

IMO, about the only thing he's going to develop in Junior is his offense. And likely marginally at that. That said, if he's not ready yet, it's far from the end of the world. He plays another year of Jr. and tries again next year where he'll at the very least be in Utica and available for call ups.

If he is ready, or is damn close, he's likely better off playing a defensive role in the bottom 6 here learning to play at an NHL pace. NHL pace being one of the few things left for him to learn is not going to improve in Jr. and could in fact hinder him in that regard.

Still it's all academic. Horvat needs to show if he's ready or not come preseason and then decisions will be made accordingly.

This prospect tournament is basically just a warm up for the bubble NHL guys and a "notice me" tournament for pretty much everyone else. I suggest everyone hold off on the prognostications until we see them play against/with actual NHL'ers.

[nuck nit]

The NHL is a business and winning is the priority.

The NHL does not exist for Bo cuz he does not want to go back to junior or some fans think he has nothing left to learn or it will hurt his fragile mindset.

The kid will play in the NHL for ten years.

A leadership role for the World Junior squad means a lot more than seven minutes a night in the NHL.

[amitriptyline]

Has he put up any points yet in any prospects games or preseason games? He has got the defensive side of his game down, but it would be nice to see a glimpse of some offensive skill, because there hasn't been much if any yet.

[Robongo]

Bo needs a lot more time to develop..

It's still way too early to be making these kinds of statements but it wouldn't be a bad thing at all if he went back to Junior. Look at Schiefele. Horvat needs to take more chances offensively, but I also noticed that he would feed Jensen and Shinkaruk a lot and he'd be open to receive a pass back and practically never did. Both guys tried to do it all themselves all the time. Not to mention our D really made life hard on our forwards. The real test for Bo is training camp and he was the second last cut last year after a solid showing.

[Guest Dasein]

It's still way too early to be making these kinds of statements but it wouldn't be a bad thing at all if he went back to Junior. Look at Schiefele. Horvat needs to take more chances offensively, but I also noticed that he would feed Jensen and Shinkaruk a lot and he'd be open to receive a pass back and practically never did. Both guys tried to do it all themselves all the time. Not to mention our D really made life hard on our forwards. The real test for Bo is training camp and he was the second last cut last year after a solid showing.

Yeah I like the Schiefele comparison for a number of reasons: 1) that they were both risers in their draft who many people thought were taken too early, and 2) that both were knocking on the door in their draft+1 year.

Ultimately Schiefele went back to junior - which I think that was the correct decision - and it may be the correct decision here with Bo. We will have to wait and see in training camp, as you say. No one is written off or pencilled in for a position until training camp opens up IMO.

That being said, you mentioned that Bo was the second last cut last year and he obviously improved since then. However, the team also happened to get "deeper" in a sense that despite of losing "quality" in Kesler, we added "quantity" at center ice with a few new pivots (Matthias, Bonino and Vey). There's more competition at center than Bo had to face last year, and it will make it tougher for him to crack the lineup this year.

Benning said on his TSN interview with Bob McKenzie that the team will not try Bo at wing because they want to put him in a position to succeed where he's most comfortable at and that's at center. He did add that a few of the centers can move to the wing (Matthias and Vey) so if he does outplay a center, it doesn't mean he replaces a center, but probably push one of them to the wing to replace a winger.

Let the real "rookie showcase" begin.

[DownUndaCanuck]

He didn't impress much compared to kids who were just drafted and are 2 years younger than him (Nylander, Ehlers), however these kids play a skilled game that can take over in these tournaments. I'll judge Horvat properly in pre-season when he's faced with proper NHL defence men who are bigger and stronger and will probably demolish a kid like Ehlers.

[Robongo]

Yeah I like the Schiefele comparison for a number of reasons: 1) that they were both risers in their draft who many people thought were taken too early, and 2) that both were knocking on the door in their draft+1 year.

Ultimately Schiefele went back to junior - which I think that was the correct decision - and it may be the correct decision here with Bo. We will have to wait and see in training camp, as you say. No one is written off or pencilled in for a position until training camp opens up IMO.

That being said, you mentioned that Bo was the second last cut last year and he obviously improved since then. However, the team also happened to get "deeper" in a sense that despite of losing "quality" in Kesler, we added "quantity" at center ice with a few new pivots (Matthias, Bonino and Vey). There's more competition at center than Bo had to face last year, and it will make it tougher for him to crack the lineup this year.

Benning said on his TSN interview with Bob McKenzie that the team will not try Bo at wing because they want to put him in a position to succeed where he's most comfortable at and that's at center. He did add that a few of the centers can move to the wing (Matthias and Vey) so if he does outplay a center, it doesn't mean he replaces a center, but probably push one of them to the wing to replace a winger.

Let the real "rookie showcase" begin.

Yea, that's why Horvat is very unlikely to make the team this year. I honestly pray he gets traded from London this year. They've done a fine job developing him into a two way beast, but he needs to go to a team that won't just label him as a shutdown C and encourage offensive creativity. He's got untapped offensive potential, I have no doubt about that.

[Guest]

I'm not arguing that Bo is a lock to make this team - far from it. However, I have a serious issue with people evaluating his level of development based off this mini-camp.

Realism? Maybe we should see him at an NHL camp before we start talking about where he's at in terms of development. Or is that too rash?

[Bure to Mogilny]

Yea, that's why Horvat is very unlikely to make the team this year. I honestly pray he gets traded from London this year. They've done a fine job developing him into a two way beast, but he needs to go to a team that won't just label him as a shutdown C and encourage offensive creativity. He's got untapped offensive potential, I have no doubt about that.

Thatd be great cause i to worry he will lose offensive abilitys continuying the way he is

[Plum]

IMO, about the only thing he's going to develop in Junior is his offense. And likely marginally at that. That said, if he's not ready yet, it's far from the end of the world. He plays another year of Jr. and tries again next year where he'll at the very least be in Utica and available for call ups.

If he is ready, or is damn close, he's likely better off playing a defensive role in the bottom 6 here learning to play at an NHL pace. NHL pace being one of the few things left for him to learn is not going to improve in Jr. and could in fact hinder him in that regard.

Still it's all academic. Horvat needs to show if he's ready or not come preseason and then decisions will be made accordingly.

This prospect tournament is basically just a warm up for the bubble NHL guys and a "notice me" tournament for pretty much everyone else. I suggest everyone hold off on the prognostications until we see them play against/with actual NHL'ers.

His offence is the weakness in his game IMO so what will he get out of playing in a bottom 6 role playing without offensive players? Vey is a rookie, Hansen is a defensive forward, Higgins is the best offensive player in our bottom 6 potentially.

He can learn more, he can do better offensively and learn more things in junior. I've heard that he gets overused in junior or whatever but after next year he can go to the AHL, play top 6 and get a spot in the top 6 for 2016-17 or late 2015-16.

Horvat isn't dynamic enough offensively, he's a smart player with vision and good passing skills but he isn't dynamic enough. He doesn't have to be a 1C but his offensive game is good enough to be a 3rd liner and that's really not where we want him to be for trading a franchise goaltender. Horvat can make passes, set up teammates but the finesse isn't there for Horvat. If he can become more dynamic offensively then I think he can make a jump into the top 9 with quality teammates.

I hope he can become a more explosive skater aswell.