Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning says he expects to have restricted free agent forward Bo Horvat signed before training camp begins later this month.
“It’s going well,” Benning said on The Starting Lineup on Sportsnet 650 Vancouver. “Hopefully we can get it done here in the next week.”
Benning said the two sides made progress last week but he wouldn’t get into specifics about the final hurdles in the negotiation.
Horvat is the last player the Canucks need to sign this off-season but he’s an important one. The 22-year-old, who just completed his three-year entry-level deal, led the team with 20 goals and 52 points last season.
Points aside, Horvat will be counted on to lead younger players like Brock Boeser, Jake Virtanen and Nikolay Goldobin as the team continues to rebuild.
Benning was also asked what role those young players will play this season. There were questions about whether there would be room up front with the signing of veteran forwards Sam Gagner and Thomas Vanek, but Benning assured fans the kids would get every chance to make the team.
“We have some good young players now coming into training camp,” Benning said. “If they come into camp and they deserve to be on the team, I’ll find a spot for them to be on the team and play.”
Benning also clarified that Daniel and Henrik Sedin will remain Canucks for as long as they want to. The twins, who will turn 37 on Sept. 26, are entering the final year of their contracts and Benning says it will be up to them to decide how they would like their careers to continue.
“We’re not moving the Sedins unless they come to me at some point and they say ‘Well. we want to move on,'” Benning said. “When I’ve talked to them they want to see how they feel this year, what kind of year they have, how the team performs, and over the course of the year we can approach that with them.”
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