NHL

Islanders acquire Bo Horvat from Canucks for hefty price in blockbuster

The Islanders needed a scorer. Now they have one.

Lou Lamoriello made the first big move of the NHL’s trade season on Monday night, acquiring Vancouver’s Bo Horvat for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a top-12 protected first-round pick in the 2023 draft. The Canucks are also retaining 25 percent of Horvat’s salary, erasing any negative effect on trade deadline space for the Islanders.

Horvat, the Canucks’ captain who has already scored 31 goals with 23 assists this season, instantly becomes the biggest scoring piece the Islanders have on their roster. And the blockbuster deal is easily the biggest Lamoriello has made since taking over the Islanders in 2018.

“Really excited,” Horvat said on a Zoom call. “Heard lots of unbelievable things about the organization, the city and all the players on it. Nothing but respect for this organization. Really, really looking forward to it.”

Lamoriello noted Horvat’s two-way game and his usage in all situations, but there’s no question that the biggest need he fills is offensive.

Bo Horvat provides the Islanders a goal-scoring prowess they desperately lacked. Getty Images

“I’ve always believed that during the year, you find out whether you have a chance you get in the playoffs, that’s your first goal, then once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen,” Lamoriello said. “I believe he improves us to get that opportunity to get in the playoffs and then we’ll go one step at a time.”

Horvat’s availability was an open secret for some time, as the Canucks failed to sign him to an extension and had fallen far out of playoff contention. Vancouver president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told reporters two weeks ago that the organization had “taken our best shot” as far as negotiating with Horvat’s camp, all but officially taking an extension off the table.

But it wasn’t widespread knowledge that the Islanders were in on Horvat — only rumor, as Lamoriello notoriously keeps his dealing close to the vest. The news on Monday amounts to a stunning shake-up of a roster that was in dire need of scoring help, with the team ranking 25th in per-game scoring and 31st on the power play. Horvat, who has scored 11 power-play goals this season, should help there.

The islanders sent Anthony Beauvillier to the Canucks as part of the package. Getty Images

Coach Lane Lambert will also need to figure out where Horvat, a natural center, fits on a roster that now has five players whose best fit is down the middle, with Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas alongside him.

Cizikas has played on Barzal’s wing lately, but the immediate temptation will be to return him to the fourth line while putting Horvat with Barzal. That would fill what has been a long-standing organizational need for a scorer alongside Barzal and serve the extra function of allowing Horvat — who is at 56 percent on the dots — to take faceoffs instead of Barzal.

“I have a lot of respect for Mat’s game,” Horvat said. “His ability to make plays and pass the puck. He’s got a lot of offensive talent. I think I can complement that with some two-way play. If we do get the opportunity to play with each other, I’d really enjoy that.”

Aatu Raty was regarded as the Islanders’ top prospect. Getty Images

The price Lamoriello paid is a hefty one. Raty, who had just played his 12th NHL game with the club, was considered the organization’s best prospect and is in the first of his three-year entry-level deal. Beauvillier is 25 and still considered a player with potential, though his scoring hadn’t quite been there. And trading away their first-rounder makes it possible that the Islanders will go four seasons without a first-round pick, which would hurt doubly if they fail to make the playoffs.

Lamoriello’s confidence in trading that away stems from his confidence in signing Horvat to an extension. Both he and Horvat said that talks had yet to start between Lamoriello and Horvat’s camp, led by agent Patrick Morris, but the Islanders’ president made repeated reference to feeling like the trade helps them in the future as well as right now.

“I dispute that it’s a trade about just this year,” Lamoriello said. “It’s our intention to retain him certainly for more than this year. We don’t make these type of transactions without that in place. Although it’s not in place, we feel comfortable that we’ll work at getting that done.”

Still more immediate is the impact this will have on the playoff chase. The Islanders, with 55 points, are two points behind the Penguins and three behind the Capitals for the two wild-card spots, but have played three more games than Pittsburgh. They also have the Sabres ahead of them with 56 points and the Panthers a point behind with 54.

Horvat gives them an immediate boost. But it is still an uphill climb, and the expectation has been raised as well.