Just a quick update on the reported Patric Hornqvist/Mike Matheson trade between Florida and Pittsburgh:
This was a possibility. A couple of sources indicated Wednesday afternoon the trade was falling apart, but I’m careful with that because you never know what can happen.
The two teams were considering it, and, from what I understand, there were two hurdles. The first was Hornqvist’s no-trade. The second is his contract. The Panthers had concerns about insurance in case of injury, and would the winger’s deal be covered?
GM Bill Zito was in Columbus when the Blue Jackets had a similar issue with Nathan Horton. That contract was not insured, and, therefore, a financial headache when he could not play for the final six seasons of it. (Eventually, they traded Horton to Toronto for David Clarkson, a move that allowed the Maple Leafs to use Long-Term Injury relief.)
You could see why Zito would be concerned about that.
Whatever the case, it sounds like the news got out before either issue was settled. One hurdle would be challenging enough…but two? Big problem. Tough for the teams and the players involved, because you don’t want this getting out if you can’t pull it off.