Bo Horvat has to fight through the noise with future unclear with Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat – a pending unrestricted free agent – doesn’t want to talk about trade rumors. But they’re not going away any time soon.

On Tuesday, Horvat released a statement through the Canucks saying he’s committed to the team for the remainder of the 2022-23 NHL season.

Statement from Bo Horvat through the team pic.twitter.com/QfHqDe8UYJ

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 13, 2022

I don’t doubt Horvat for a second. He’s the captain of the Canucks, and it’s his job to keep the locker room together. Despite a brutal start to the season, Vancouver is just four points from a wild-card berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It might seem like a pipedream to think the Canucks have any chance of making the post-season. A sentiment that I tend to agree with. Vancouver is paper thin on the blue line. The team plays with so little structure. And it’s been a nightmare in the crease for goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Spencer Martin.

But Horvat knows it’s his job to keep things positive and give his team hope. As captain, Horvat is the face of the franchise. He’s front and center during every media availability.

This is precisely why Horvat had to make a statement regarding his tenure with the franchise. When information seeped out that the Canucks and Horvat’s camp wasn’t close to a contract extension, trade winds started blowing in Vancouver.

Horvat’s statement gets him ahead of the situation. By saying he won’t talk about his future, Horvat is taking ink out of the media’s pen. Any question he doesn’t want to answer can be directed to his statement.

Story spiked. Easy for Horvat. And smart. Players on the trade block don’t want to answer speculative questions. It’s not fun.

But when you distill Horvat’s statement, it’s a big nothingburger. All it says is that he’s committed to honoring the remainder of his contract. And he doesn’t want to talk about the future.

Why? Because it’s pretty clear Horvat’s future isn’t in Vancouver. He knows it. The fans know it. Everyone knows it.

But imagine being the captain of an NHL team and knowing you’re going to be shipped out of town before the season ends. How do you stay focused? How do you continue to lead?

Exactly like Horvat, that’s how. He’s been Vancouver’s best player this season. Horvat has 20 goals in 28 games. So he’s leading by example on the ice.

And by keeping trade talks out of the media, he’s leading off the ice. No captain wants that type of distraction in the locker room.

I have a lot of respect for how Horvat decided to handle this situation. I’ve seen players (led by their agents) negotiate publicly. At best, it’s uncomfortable. At worst, it gets downright ugly.

I think Horvat has far too much respect for the Canucks jersey and fanbase to go down that road. This says a lot about his character, and why he was named Vancouver’s captain back in 2019.

But regardless of Horvat’s professionalism, he’s still trade bait. As a pending UFA, and one of the top centers available, Horvat has a ton of value. The Canucks would be silly not to leverage him as an asset.

That’s what probably keeps Horvat up at night. He knows that his $5.5 million cap hit is extremely team-friendly. And his contract lacks trade protection. So Horvat has no control over the process. Vancouver could ship him anywhere.

Riding around private jets while playing in the NHL is awesome. But not when you must pack an extra piece of luggage just in case you get traded. I’ve witnessed it.

I find it sad that it’s come to this. Horvat is a 27-year-old center playing the best hockey of his life. He should be the cornerstone of the Canucks for years to come. But unless Vancouver decides to buck up, Horvat will be shown the door.

What a strange situation.