With Beauvillier on the Move Again, We Revisit Islanders Horvat Trade

On Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired former New York Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2024.

On Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired former New York Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2024. 

This move comes just ten months after Beauvillier was traded to Vancouver from New York in the deal that brought Bo Horvat to the Islanders. 

The Canucks also received prospect Aatu Raty and the Islanders 2023 first-round pick.

At the time, the majority of hockey media gave the Canucks the edge, given that they had acquired the Islanders' top prospect, a first-round pick for a centerman who was having a career year -- an outlier year --  in a contract year which means his asking price spiked. 

After coming to Long Island, the Islanders inked Horvat to an eight-year extension worth $68 million ($8.5 M AAV). 

The Islanders did give up a top prospect and a first for a player they believed could be the dynamic piece Mathew Barzal had been longing for and one that could unlock their offense. 

Prospects are prospects, and for the many who said the Islanders lost the trade, they didn't see what Islanders' general manager Lou Lamoriello saw. 

Let's start with Horvat.

The 28-year-old has been terrific this season for the Islanders with six goals and nine assists, good enough for 15 points in 20 games.

But points don't tell the whole story, ever.

His leadership on and off the ice has been vital, as well as improving the power play to top 10 in the National Hockey League, along with his defensive prowess that seems to fly under the radar.

While the top line may not be carrying the offense, it's an incomplete line, as Lamoriello has yet to bring in the final piece to complete that duo. 

The argument could be made that even with Horvat's struggles down the stretch last season, the Islanders would have missed the playoffs without the spark of acquiring him. He has now settled in nicely during his first full season on Long Island.

Beauvillier started his tenure in Vancouver at a solid pace, with 20 points in 33 games following the trade, but struggled to produce in his first full season. 

He had two goals and six assists in 22 games this season, playing limited minutes on a team that's been off to their best start in franchise history. 

The 26-year-old winger, a pending unrestricted free agent likely to be flipped again, will get another fresh start with Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks. 

Beauvillier is in the final year of a three-year contract carrying an AAV of $4.15 million.

As for Raty, he has been playing bottom-six minutes in the AHL for the Abbotsford Cancuks. His point production has been solid, with 13 points in 17 games, and there's still time for the 21-year-old to develop. 

But, one would think his development hasn't been as exponential as the Canucks had hoped, which is something Lamoriello likely saw when he showcased him at the NHL level. 

The Canucks did, however, use the first-round pick to acquire now top-pairing defenseman Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings. 

Hronek has been a point-per-game player on the blue line this season, with two goals and 21 assists in 23 games. The defenseman also recorded the hardest slap shot ever (17.9 MPH, with a goal against the Islanders on Nov 15, tying the game late at 3-3 before Quinn Hughes won the game in overtime. 

Beauvillier was never the main piece of the Horvat trade. It was Raty and the first-round pick. 

Both sides are likely happy with the trade at this juncture in time, but the Canucks surely would have liked more from Beauvillier and certainly would love to see Raty turn into a quality NHLer. 

You can listen to Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert on Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season.

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