Bo Horvat emerges as top trade target for Montreal Canadiens: Report

The Montreal Canadiens are returning from a solid season. They qualified for the playoffs with one of the youngest teams in the NHL and now look to move another step forward. One area that they look to improve on is depth at center beyond captain Nick Suzuki. TVA insider Vincent Duquette reports that the Canadiens may trade for veteran center Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders."Horvat would be the ideal center to lead the second line," Duquette said. "He’s capable of scoring 30 goals per season and is responsible in all three zones. We need to determine to what extent we want to add experience versus gain experience." Bo Horvat tallied 28 goals and 29 assists this year with the Islanders. He still has six years remaining on an eight-year, $68 million contract. The Canadiens view his long-term commitment as a good thing and also a gamble. On the plus side, he can be an anchor for the team for a long time to come. The negative is he just turned 30, and Montreal's rebuilding effort has concentrated on youth.Nevertheless, the Canadiens possess the resources to make a trade. General manager Kent Hughes has stated that he is looking to enhance the team's offense and leadership this offseason. "There's no doubt we want to add more talent to our team," Hughes said. "We need to determine to what extent we want to add experience versus gain experience."Bo Horvat's experience and playoff pedigree may be just what the team requires to advance the younger stars such as Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson to the next level.Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens’ Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, said the team is not finished building. “There’s not one area where we’re saying, ‘we’re done there,’” Gorton said. “We’ll continue to look at everything to improve.”Jeff Gorton also spoke to the need for players who can handle playoff play. That's precisely the type of value Horvat might provide a team looking to do better than just make the playoffs. When the offseason gets underway, the Canadiens will consider all options trades, free agents, and perhaps even blockbuster moves such as acquiring Bo Horvat to continue to move forward.Also Read: NHL Players Accused Of Group Assault: Defense Says Woman Made It Up To Avoid ‘Cheating’ On Boyfriend