Would You Want Nathan Horton?

Current Florida Panthers, and former Chicago Blackhawks, GM Dave Tallon has made it well known that his Panthers are looking to restructure the current roster. It appears that very few players are safe, and only defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has been noted as being “safe”. One can assume that the newly re-signed David Booth will also be safe, as he has five more years on his deal. Tallon also inferred that Stephen Weiss won’t be going anywhere, and that he is looking for a big center to play with Weiss.

What makes the above statement so interesting is that Nathan Horton, one of Florida’s top players, is a big forward who should be capable of playing center with Weiss (Horton can play both RW and C, but struggles at the center position sometimes). With Tallon stating that he is looking for a big center, it could potentially mean that he will be looking to deal Horton. The soon-to-be 25 year old forward is coming off two straight seasons with nagging injuries where he did not crack the 70 game mark. Horton’s best seasons came in 2006-2007 (31-31-62, +15) and 2007-2008 (27-35-62, +15), where he was primarily playing with Olli Jokinen. Once Jokinen was traded, Horton was supposed to fill that #1 center role, but struggled to do so.

Horton has three years left on his deal at a $4 million cap hit, so some cap maneuvering would need to happen for the Rangers to consider this deal. At just 25, Horton is still a few years shy of his prime, and in the right situation, could really start to produce top line worthy numbers. Horton has a great shot, and as a big power forward, would be a welcome addition to the Rangers, who are desperate for scoring. Should Horton become available, would you want the Rangers to kick the tires and see what it would take to pry him from Florida? What are you willing to give up for him? The price itself may be a little more than what most fans are willing to part with.