NHL Rumors: Kraken Persistent In Pursuit Of Canucks Center

The Seattle Kraken have taken over the division lead and look set to roll through the second half of the season and into the playoffs. Though they have the deepest forward group in the NHL, they are lacking star power. This means they could be looking for exactly that at the deadline.

Rick Dhaliwal says that the Kraken are persistent in their pursuit of Bo Horvat. This would give them a legitimate top line centre for their playoff run, but the Vancouver Canucks may be a little hesitant to make a deal since they are close rivals. The Kraken have the personnel to make a hockey trade for Horvat as they would have to move out or demote a forward or two upon Horvat's arrival. Morgan Geekie comes to mind as part of a return. He hasn't played every game and is centering the fourth line. His potential suggests he can give more with a better opportunity.

Horvat would be the Kraken's highest scoring player, both in goals and points. He has 30 goals and 49 points in 44 games. The leading goal-scorer for the Kraken is Jared McCann with 22 goals and the leader in points is Andre Burakovsky with 38. The Kraken would also likely want to extend Horvat past this season. A long-term 1-2 punch at centre with Horvat and Beniers would allow for sustained success.