Canucks respond to rumours that captain Bo Horvat may be available

We see it every single time a team inks a player to a big money, long-term deal. Once a deal of that magnitude is signed, the focus quickly shifts to the other players on the team who are nearing the end of their term. We, in Leafs Nation, understand that better than most, but the phrase "we can and we will" echoes through the hallways of our minds and reminds us that it's always possible.

There have been rumours over the last week that the Canucks may be looking to move on from captain Bo Horvat after the Miller deal came through, but Canucks President of Hockey Ops, Jim Rutherford, stepped in to state that the rumours simply are not true immediately following the announcement of the Miller deal.

Beyond that, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin seemed to emphasize Rutherford's comment by listing Horvat as one of the members of the Canucks' core this week. He also stated that he believes that his core in Vancouver is right up there with any top core in the league.

So, I suppose we can lay the rumours of a potential Horvat deal to rest. We shouldn't be too surprised, given the type of game that Horvat plays and how much the team seems to value him.

Horvat posted a career-best 31 goals this season, adding 21 assists for a total of 52 points in just 70 games this season. He finished just 9 points back of his career-high 61 points in 2018-19. Horvat played all 82 games that season.