Horvat doesn't believe Canucks' slow start based on free-agent losses

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat isn't buying into the narrative that his club is struggling this campaign due to key losses in this past offseason's free agency.

"I don't believe that," Horvat said, per NHL.com's Kevin Woodley. "Obviously, it's tough to see guys go, but at the same time, you've got to move on and play for the team you are playing for. You can't dwell on anything, and we have a great group of guys here and a lot of good hockey players, and because we lost guys doesn't mean we're trying to play bad.

"We all want to win here, and we all want to do well, so I don't think that's a theory at all."

The Canucks lost All-Star goaltender Jacob Markstrom, forward Tyler Toffoli, and defenseman Chris Tanev to free agency this past fall, largely due to salary cap constraints. All three players were key contributors to Vancouver's run to the playoff's second round in 2020 and are now succeeding with their new teams.

After the Canucks lost their fifth straight contest Monday, star defenseman Quinn Hughes caused a stir for suggesting Vancouver's slow start is partly due to the departures.

"We lost some pretty good players last year, so we're trying to figure it out together," Hughes said, per Woodley.

The Canucks are 6-10-0 on the season and sit sixth in the North Division.