How huge was the Bo Horvat acquisition?
How huge was the Bo Horvat acquisition?
The date was Jan. 30, 2023, a day that could go down as one of the pivotal moments in New York Islanders franchise history.
It was the day that the franchise acquired Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat for Anthony Beauvillier, top prospect Aatu Räty, and a conditional first-round pick.
Through 56 games in 2022-23, the Islanders had averaged just 2.89 goals per game, allowing 2.71, with a 27-23-6 record, sitting two points out of a wild-card spot.
Limping into the All-Star break after a 3-8-3 January, Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello knew that if this team was going to make the playoffs, the team needed a spark, and Horvat was the player he believed could be a difference-maker.
Horvat was lighting the lamp seemingly every game with Vancouver, scoring 31 goals in 49 games, so that offense -- although expected to dip a bit given his new system -- would be a welcoming addition to an offense that had gone cold.
It was a trade that stunned the league, as the Islanders were not just adding a legitimate scoring threat -- one of, if not the top name on the market -- but a strong 200-foot player who was strong in between the dots.
Lamoriello isn't nor will he ever be a man who does rentals, and before Horvat even stepped foot on the practice ice at Northwell Ice Center after representing the Islanders and Canucks at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, he put pen to paper on an eight-year extension worth $68 million ($8.5 million AAV).
“All I can tell you is, it’s too long, and it’s too much money,” Lamoriello said jokingly (maybe) after being asked about the contract. “You want the truth?
“Well, I think it’s usually the solidifying fact that you don’t want to do (an eighth year). As I said, contracts these days are too long.”
Here's why Horvat agreed to a long-term extension before ever playing a game for New York when he could've seen how things went and tested the market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NHL career.
"I think a lot of it has to do with the culture of the organization, and I think they can win right now,” Horvat said after signing his deal. “Obviously, they have a little bit of a ways to go to make the playoffs and stuff, but they have a great core group of guys here that know what it takes to win, and I can’t wait to be a part of that here for eight more years.
“My wife and I talked about this place a lot. Honestly, it was probably in my top five right from the beginning. Just from what I’ve heard from it, obviously the team, the organization. And then, obviously, I don’t know the area too, too well, but I can’t wait to get to know it for eight years here."
It was a no-brainer to extend Horvat because it finally gave face-of-the-franchise Mathew Barzal, who had also signed an eight-year extension -- worth $73.2 million ($9.15 million), at the beginning of the season -- a running mate for the first time in his career.
"I have a lot of respect for Mat’s game,” Horvat said. “Just his ability to make plays and pass the puck, and he’s just got a lot of offensive talent, and I think I can complement that with some two-way play.
“If we get the opportunity to play with each other, I’d really enjoy that, but again, it’s not up to me. It’s up to the coaching staff. I’m just, honestly, I’m happy to be here.”
The two did get an opportunity to play together immediately, as Barzal shifted over to the wing for the first time in his NHL career.
In their first six games as linemates, Horvat scored two even-strength goals, while Barzal had a goal and two assists, as the two were quickly building chemistry.
When the duo was on the ice, 89:22 minutes, the Islanders outshot their opponents 51-30, out-chanced them 52-39, and outscored them 4-2 at 5-on-5, per NaturalStatrick.com.
Through six games, the Islanders power play, which had been one of the weakest in the NHL, scored five goals when the duo was on the ice, with Horvat slotting in as the bumper on the top power-play unit.
The Islanders faithful got to meet Horvat on Feb. 7, his second game as an Islander, when they hosted the Seattle Kraken.
When No. 14 was announced as a starter, the arena went into a frenzy:
While the Islanders were dominating Seattle, Horvat got in on the fun, scoring their fourth and final goal of the game at 5:08 of the second period, assisted by Barzal:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVP0m84ydFg[/embed]
However, six games would be all that duo would get, as Barzal fell victim to a regular-season-ending lower-body injury on Feb. 18 in a loss to the Boston Bruins.
Without Barzal -- but not an excuse -- Horvat struggled to produce offensively -- with just four goals and eight assists in 24 games.
But don't be mistaken by those lackluster numbers.
While the offense wasn't there, the 200-foot game was, as Horvat did the little things to help the Islanders, playing 20:24 a night, winning 58.5 percent of his draws.
Over the final 30 games with Horvat in the lineup, the Islanders went 17-9-4, averaging 3.13 goals per game while allowing 2.53, the fifth-fewest in the NHL over that span to sneak into the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs after the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to beat the Chicago Blackhawks, the worst team in the NHL.
There's no question that the Islanders would have missed the postseason without Horvat coming aboard.
In the playoffs, Horvat and Barzal were reunited, but Barzal clearly wasn't 100 percent, and the Islanders ultimately lost in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Horvat scored just one goal in his first taste of playoff hockey in blue and orange.
When Horvat met the media a day after being eliminated, he was honest about how much the season and the trade took a toll on him:
"I mean, I'm not trying to make excuses by any means. But it was a lot of pressure on myself and the family," Horvat said. "I would have liked to score more goals for us, and I definitely hold myself to a high standard, hold myself accountable, and expect a lot out of myself. When the goals dried up, it was frustrating, but again, it's just something that I think is gonna make me better in the long run mentally and as a player.
Horvat did credit the organization for doing what it could to relieve some of the pressure that comes with moving across the country.
"They welcomed me with open arms, and it just made it super smooth and an easy transition," Horvat said. "Because, moving across the country with my family, it was a lot. It was a lot on my wife. It was a lot on my family. It was a lot on the kids, and so the organization made it not as hard as it could have been.
"So, I'm very grateful for that. And I'm just excited to be here for another eight years. It's going to be awesome. I'm excited for our team. You know, I like the pieces we have here, and I'm excited to be here."
As the summer months rolled on, the anticipation for what Barzal and Horvat could do in a full season was overwhelming for the fan base.
They, along with Horvat and Barzal, were just itching for the puck to drop to kick off the 2023-24 campaign.
The expectation was that Barzal and Horvat could quickly rediscover their chemistry and be the offensive leaders for a squad looking to be more consistent after a rocky 2022-23 campaign.
Although the 2023-24 season has gone rather similarly, with the Islanders chasing a wild-card spot as we reach the one-year anniversary of the Horvat acquisition, the Islander's dynamic duo has flourished all season long.
Through 48 games, missing one game due to an injury, Horvat has lit the lamp 20 times with 25 assists for 45 points. Barzal, who was named the Islanders' lone All-Star, has 13 goals and 38 assists for 51 points in 48 games, missing one due to illness.
Barzal is on pace to shatter his career high in shots and is still on pace to set a new career-high in points (86), reaching the 85-point mark in his Calder-winning season.
While Horvat and Barzal have been on the ice together at 5-on-5, 595:01 minutes, the Islanders have outshot their opponents 389-295, out-chanced them 345-322, and have outscored them 32-21.
It's been a great dynamic, as Horvat has been deeper in the defensive zone, as centers usually are, which has allowed for Barzal to hover the Islanders' blue line, leading to more breakout and rush chances.
With Anders Lee joining the duo after a shaky start to the season, that line is tied for the third-most goals of any line in the NHL this season, with 25, per MoneyPuck.com.
When Horvat has been on the ice at 5-on-5, the Islanders have outscored their opponents 37-25.
From Nov. 28 to Dec. 20, Horvat went on a tear, with points in 11 straight games -- the longest point streak of his career -- with eight goals and nine assists.
Yes, the face-off numbers were down for a bit, but recent success has him sitting at 50.6 percent.
On Jan. 21, the Islanders made a critical change, as Lamoriello relieved head coach Lane Lambert of his duties, hiring the legendary Patrick Roy to help spark the struggling club.
Despite the Islanders going 1-2-1 with Roy behind the bench, Horvat has a goal and an assist, scoring the overtime winner in the Hockey Hall of Famer's first game behind the bench for a comeback victory against the Dallas Stars:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxTtUgWAE9o[/embed]
The 28-year-old center, despite not being named an All-Star, is playing at an All-Star level for the Islanders this season, and with seven more years on the contract, it seems Lamoriello’s big move has paid off tremendously a year later.
It's been a trade for the ages, and it helps the Islanders -- for the people who grade trades -- that Räty is currently playing a bottom-six role in the AHL, and Beauvillier struggled mightily in Vancouver, leading to him being dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Canucks, who are currently leading the Pacific Divison and have been all season, ended up flipping the conditional first-round to the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Filip Hronek, who has quickly emerged as a top-pairing blue liner.
Like all trades and contracts, it's about what that player does over the course of his tenure.
If the Islanders are going to win a Stanley Cup at some point over these next eight seasons, Horvat will play a vital role.
In 78 total games with New York, Horvat has 27 goals and 34 assists, averaging 19:59 minutes per game.
You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter & Facebook.