Would Islanders forward Mat Barzal or former Vancouver captain Bo Horvat suit the Canucks better?
The Vancouver Canucks have been in the market for a center for a very long time now, with the team making a quick but safe bet by acquiring Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks a couple of weeks ago. Even so, it’s clear the Canucks are still on the hunt for someone to lock things up down the middle, as they’ve recently been linked to players such as Pavel Zacha.
Last week, speculation grew about the status of New York Islanders center Mat Barzal, who was healthy-scratched for his team’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes due to him missing the team bus. This only increased with a Twitter thought from reporter Arthur Staple, who mused about scratches like these only occurring as a result of “the last straw.” Because of this, many have hypothesized that, if Barzal were made available by the Islanders, he could be on the top of Vancouver’s list.
In theory, the trade makes sense. Barzal hails from Coquitlam, BC, and spent all of his junior career on the West Coast with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Vancouver is on the hunt for a center and could use someone with the speed and flair of Barzal, despite him not playing center as often as he is on the wing. However, for the price tag likely attached to Barzal, as well as the fact that he has yet to record more than a point-per-game pace since his rookie season, splurging on the Vancouver-local may be tricky.
Another thing to consider in this hypothetical scenario is how Barzal would factor in defensively. Assumedly, he would join the team as a top-line center rather than sliding in on the second-line, negating his position at wing solely due to the Canucks' center depth woes at the moment (hence why Lukas Reichel has played center every game since arriving in Vancouver). If it’s solely Barzal returning in this deal, that still leaves massive holes down the middle of the Canucks’ lineup — something that Barzal can’t fill. The center isn’t a major penalty killer nor is he as relied-upon defensively compared to center Elias Pettersson. Additionally, Barzal’s record in the faceoff dot so far this season (32.69%) is less-than ideal for a team such as Vancouver, which currently sits near the bottom of the NHL in faceoff win percentage. Historically, the center has never finished a season above 50% in faceoff wins.
As ironic as it is, Vancouver’s target for center depth on Long Island shouldn’t be Barzal, but rather the player they traded there nearly three years ago. Many will agree that, while trading former Canucks captain Bo Horvat felt necessary at the time, in hindsight, he’s the type of player Vancouver sorely needs right now.
A solid two-way center who can chip in offensively while locking down opponents, Horvat would be an optimal solution for the Canucks’ center depth woes at this moment. The center’s stock has only seemed to rise since he joined the Islanders. While he’s never been a point-per-game player, he’s consistently put up around 60 points per season since joining New York. Defensively speaking, he has never dipped below 50% on a season in faceoff wins and has the second-highest shorthanded TOI on the team with 30:52 minutes. He also has the most minutes played against empty nets, indicating the trust he has been able to establish in his own zone. As well, of course, Horvat is extremely familiar with Vancouver’s key players, and can easily step up and help Quinn Hughes lead — just not in the role he once had.
Speaking long-term, however, a move for Horvat likely wouldn’t pan out. For starters, the asking price on Horvat will be way too much — especially considering the optics surrounding it, in which it may appear that the team is trying to rectify a mistake they’ve made (which would be the case, but still). Second, Horvat currently has a no-trade clause in his contract that shifts to a 16-team no-trade list come the 2027–28 season. Third, the Canucks just drafted Braeden Cootes, who is projected to churn out the same results as Horvat once he’s ready to join the NHL full-time. As nostalgic as it may be thinking about the return of the Canucks’ former captain, it’s a very unlikely scenario regardless of how the fit may be.
All in all, a trade with the Islanders may seem productive, but neither option makes much sense long-term. Vancouver evidently needs a center now, one who can fill the two-way role and improve their performance in the faceoff dot on a shorter-term basis.
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