The Vancouver Canucks sniper went to the New York Islanders, but should the Predators have been in on Horvat?
In one of the first "big fish" moves before the trade deadline, the New York Islanders acquired center Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks. Moving Horvat was not terribly surprising as the 27 year old is having a standout year before becoming a UFA and the Canucks have been muddling through a soap opera of a season.
The Islanders as a destination and the value they gave up for Horvat raised a few eyebrows across the league. The Islanders sent Anthony Beauvillier, prospect Aatu Raty, and a top 12 protected 2023 first-round pick to Vancouver in exchange for the Canucks captain. That seems like quite a price for the Islanders - a team that is not guaranteed a playoff spot this season and will have to make a decision on signing Horvat to a longer term deal in the offseason.
Nashville was rumored to be a team that might dip their toes in the water when it came to Horvat, mainly because the Preds have something the Canucks may have been looking for - a right defenseman. David Poile's interest was never confirmed and after a rough last month, it looks like the Canucks season turned from shopper to seller. With the Islanders and Nashville in similar positions in their divisions, one might wonder if the Predators should have kicked the tires on a deal for Horvat?
There is no question Bo Horvat could have added offensive punch to a Nashville Predators team that hasn't consistently gotten offensive production from its top six. He has already tied his career high in goals and is chasing a career high in points this season all while playing defensively responsible hockey. The Predators power play has been shaky as well, and Horvat could have been a potential spark on special teams. He has 11 power play goals and 18 power play points in his 49 games. What Horvat could bring to the Predators is pretty clear.
What trading for Horvat could have cost Nashville - both this season and down the line - is the real reason it is best the Preds stayed out of the chase. The Islanders gave up a solid NHLer in Beauvillier, one of their top prospects, and perhaps most importantly a top 12 protected first round pick.
What would a similar deal look like from the Preds? If Vancouver was really needing a a right defenseman, the likely candidate would be trading Dante Fabbro for the cap space. With Alexandre Carrier out four to six weeks now, Nashville can hardly be dealing another defenseman away. Would a player like Yakov Trenin or Colton Sissons be an equivalent to Beauvillier? Possibly, but those aren't deals Poile would likely be interested in either.
Nashville has some intriguing prospects in the pipeline, but the Predators are in a tenuous spot when it comes to dishing out future talent. Nashville is going to need to rely on their prospect pool sooner rather than later regardless of whether the current roster makes a deep playoff run or not. Poile can call it a "rebuilding" or "retooling", but there will be an influx of young players coming to Nashville in the next few years. Even if Horvat is a four month rental, that is too high a long term price to pay based on the prospect cost alone.
And then there is that first round pick. Poile will have one chance to take the stage as the host GM and call a name for Nashville in June, and trading away that first round pick in a talented draft year just doesn't make future (or good entertainment) sense.
Bo Horvat is a solid addition for the Islanders and an intriguing passing thought for the Predators, but the cost to benefit ratio doesn't add up for Nashville right now. That isn't to say that the Preds should stay out of the trade action altogether. But if the Horvat trade is any indication of the market, Nashville may be better off finishing the season with just a few small tweaks and not shelling out more than they can afford now and down the line.