The Downfall Of The Canucks Began With Their Bo Horvat Decision

On Friday night, the Vancouver Canucks traded superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. 

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The return was a blockbuster:

While it's a return for Vancouver to be extremely happy with, having to trade one of the best defenseman in the league, regardless of the reason, is a failure. 

The big question is what led the Canucks to this decision. Hughes may never have been thinking of re-signing, but decisions made during his tenure certainly made his decision much easier.

You can look at the rift between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson as one, given that Captain Hughes had to answer questions on it daily until Miller was dealt. 

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You can look at the Canucks' failures last season and this season, as they currently sit dead-last in the NHL.

But where did the downfall begin?

Look no further than Vancouver's decision to re-sign J.T. Miller over Bo Horvat back in 2021-22. 

Drafted ninth overall in 2013, Horvat became a staple in the Canucks lineup just a year later, quickly emerging as not just a strong two-way forward but also a leader in the locker room. 

When it was time to name a captain when Henrik Sedin and his brother Daniel decided to call it a career following the 2018-19 season, the Canucks didn't have to think much.

The answer was Bo.

From that moment until he no longer donned the Blue and White, Horvat led by example on and off the ice, even if the seasons didn't go their way.

But let's get to the latter, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Canucks. 

The belief around the NHL was that Horvat would be getting an extension, at some point, before or during the 2022-23 season, making him a Canuck for life -- as Horvat said. 

But they viewed Miller as the better long-term fit.

While Horvat had a strong 2021-22 season, posting a 52-point season with 31 goals and 21 assists, Miller had just set career-highs across the board with 32 goals and 67 assists for 99 points. 

On Sept. 2, 2022, the Canucks signed Miller to a seven-year deal worth $8 million annually. 

There was likely still hope from the Canucks, as well as from Horvat, that they could make the money work, but it became pretty clear that a deal would not come to fruition. 

On Jan. 20, 2023, with Horvat in the midst of a career season recording 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists) in 43 games, he was dealt to the New York Islanders for Aatu Räty, Anthony Beauvillier, and a 2023 first-round pick, a blockbuster deal.

Horvat then signed an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million annually. 

The Canucks flipped the first-rounder to the Detroit Red Wings for Filip Hronek ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.

The decision to sign Miller over Horvat didn't have a negative effect on the Canucks, immediately.

While they missed the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their 2023-24 season was dominant, going 50-23-9, with Miller scoring 32 goals for a second straight season. After knocking off the Nashville Predators in six games, the Edmonton Oilers sent Vancouver packing after seven games. 

Since that elimination, it's been a disaster in British Columbia. 

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Had the Canucks elected to retain Horvat over Miller, Pettersson would not have had to go through what he went through, whatever it was.

Had the Canucks elected to retain Horvat, Hughes wouldn't have had to face the music and pressure every single day. That's not to say that Hughes couldn't handle being captain, but Horvat taking the pressure certainly would have saved Hughes a handful of headaches. 

Had the Canucks elected to retain Horvat, then head coach Rick Tocchet wouldn't have had to answer the rift questions, and maybe he would have elected to stay in town — he did want to move closer to family. 

Obviously, hindsight is 20/20. It's impossible to know how good Vancouver would have been had they signed Horvat long-term.

But the fact that, since Horvat left, Miller and Hughes have been dealt, and the franchise is at rock bottom, shows that maybe, just maybe, they made the wrong decision.