Islanders Horvat Continues To Build Chemistry With Injured Barzal

When the Islanders acquired Bo Horvat one of the first things he spoke about was potentially playing with Mat Barzal

When the New York Islanders acquired Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 30, one of the first things Horvat spoke about was potentially playing with Mat Barzal.

“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 there.”

Not only could these two become a dynamic duo this season as the Islanders tried to pave their way back into the postseason, with Horvat amid a career year and Barzal on pace for his best season since winning the Calder, but the future also seemed promising… if Horvat wanted to be on Long Island long-term.

With Barzal agreeing to an eight-year extension in September, kicking in next season, the idea was to do the same with Horvat. After landing on Long Island following the All-Star break, Horvat signed an eight-year deal.

And after one practice together, it became abundantly clear that Horvat and Barzal would be linemates as Barzal moved to the wing. 

Horvat’s arrival came at a time when the Islanders were struggling and in need of a spark to get them trending in the right direction with how tight the playoff race was in the East.

Even if the Islanders failed to make the postseason, the remaining regular season games were still critical for the two to learn one another’s game. That way, when the 2023-24 season began, the two would be ready to go, ready to lead the way. 

From that first practice through their first seven games alongside one another, Islanders fans saw the magic and the potential.

Following Horvat’s first goal as a New York Islander in a 4-0 shutout win over the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 7 at UBS Arena, off a nifty feed by Barzal, the newcomer was glowing when discussing his new linemate.”

“I mean, you’re trying to get open, especially for a guy like that, who is able to make plays and be in the right positions at the right time,” Horvat said. “Expect the unexpected from a guy like that.Barzal was more than content with the chemistry between him and Horvat. “I think you can just tell. I seem to turn up, and (he) just seems to be there in the right goal-scoring spot, so it’s exciting."

“I’m excited,” Barzal said. “I feel like I even got a little more juice out there, just playing with him. So yeah, it’s nice to know that when I turn up and make plays, he’s going to be sitting there in the right spots.”

After Horvat scored goals in three of his first four games with New York, two coming via Barzal setups, things took a turn for the worst a few games later. On Feb. 18, their magic was paused as Barzal suffered a lower-body injury in the first period against the Boston Bruins. Initially given the “out indefinitely” timetable by the organization, his prognosis was quickly updated to “week-to-week.”

It’s been four weeks and four days since the injury, and Barzal has yet to skate. 

In his absence, Lambert has cycled players on the top line with Horvat and Anders Lee, and although that line may not have been the driving force since Barzal went down, the Islanders have found a way, posting an 9-3-1 record, currently holding down the top wild-card spot.

Just because Horvat and Barzal cannot build chemistry on the ice, that doesn’t mean they can’t find other ways to bond and keep their connection growing.

The Hockey News caught up with Horvat following Monday’s practice to get an inside look at his relationship with Barzal and how they can work on their chemistry with Barzal out. 

For starters, while Barzal may not have been the only reason Horvat signed a long-term deal with New York, it was a major reason. 

“Knowing he's going to be here for a long time and his skill and his ability to make plays and stuff like that, that was a big reason why I wanted to stay,” Horvat said. 

“He's a big part of this team and a big part of the organization, so that was one of the things that was most attractive to me.

Obviously, the living situation and stuff like that too, but team-wise, to have him locked up for eight years here was a big draw.”

The two played a bit together for Team Canada at the 2018 World Championships, and Horvat said they bonded almost immediately in that room.

“We hit it off right away, and it was good to see him,” Horvat said. “On the ice, when we played against each other, even after Worlds, we kept chatting, friendly conversations. He's a really good kid.

Despite Barzal missing 13 games so far, Horvat is excited to eventually be reunited on the ice whenever that day comes. 

“We're missing him right now. But when he gets back, it should be a lot of fun,” Horvat said. 

The infamous “they” say that nothing mimics an NHL game quite like an NHL game, but Horvat shared how he and Barzal can still work on things without skating side by side.

“Talking. That’s pretty much all we can do at this point,” Horvat said. “We still talk about the games, like, what he sees and what I see.

“And I think just having those friendly conversations, stuff like that, will help when he gets back in.”

Horvat added that they hadn’t sat down and watched film. It’s not about that. It’s about just keeping the conversations flowing. 

Rust is always an issue, especially for a player returning from a longer-term injury, but Horvat doesn’t think that it will take too long for him and Barzal to get going again.

“Obviously, you want to pick up where we left off. But we're missing him for sure right now, but I mean, everyone’s playing unbelievable. And other guys, key guys, are stepping up at different times. So we're going to need that until he gets back,” Horvat said.