Islanders Sign Bo Horvat to Eight-Year Contract Extension

The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with Bo Horvat on an eight-year contract extension.

Well, that was fast. 

The New York Islanders wasted no time in locking down their newest star, announcing that the club has agreed to terms with forward Bo Horvat on an eight-year contract extension before he's even played a game for the blue and orange. 

The financial terms of the contract were not announced, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the contract is worth an average annual value of $8.5 million. 

Horvat was traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Islanders on Jan. 30. Forwards Aatu Raty and Anthony Beauvillier, along with a top-12 protected first-round pick, went to Vancouver in return.

It's not surprising that the former Canucks captain is cashing in at the moment. 

Horvat is currently in the midst of a career year despite all the chaos surrounding his former club, having racked up an astounding 31 goals and 23 assists for 54 points in 49 games this season while logging nearly 21 minutes in nightly ice time.

The Islanders, who are among the more offensively-challenged teams in the NHL, now get the top-six scorer they've needed for quite some time, adding one of the most beloved locker room presences in the league to their organization, as well. 

While it's somewhat surprising that Horvat would immediately commit to an extension, given that he would've been able to field offers from all 32 teams this summer, the Islanders must have seriously sold the 27-year-old on their future. And now, after dealing with such uncertainty in years past, Horvat can now revel in one of the most stable situations in the league.