Islanders and Canucks Talking Horvat, Potential Trade Package

It looks like Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat will be traded this season and the New York Islanders are already laying the groundwork for trade talks.

While many teams will call Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin regarding Horvat, NYI Hockey Now has learned that the Islanders have already controlled the 27-year-old.

It’s worth noting that the Vancouver Canucks had a scout who was one of the 13 scouts involved in the New York Islanders’ game against Boston on Tuesday night.

Bo Horvat He has 20 goals and 3 assists in 28 games this season and is set to become an unlimited free agent. Islanders currently have a usable lead time of $10,859 million and Horvat has a cap of $5.5 million.

The Islanders would not need to create space to bring Horvat. They would have money to spend on a defender with their second most important need. Let’s say they move a few forwards. In that case, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello could add another forward, specifically a winger, to further strengthen the forward group.

The Islanders are at least one goalscorer away from being a true Stanley Cup contender, and although Horvat has never scored at the rate he currently has. As your parents used to say, “Buy it while it’s hot”.

Although the Islanders currently have four centers on the roster, the need for scoring is a priority. The way Horvat plays the game and the way he leads makes him a clear fit for the island. He has the energy of a Casey Cizikas and the tenacity of a Zach Parise, but he also has a scoring touch that will have him currently leading the Islanders by six points.

The Islanders are definitely not the only team looking to bring in Horvat, but given his prowess in confrontation (57.7 percent), his goal-scoring ability and, on top of that, a deadly player in the power game (something the Islanders need), the Islanders definitely need a ton would fix it.

Cost for Islanders

The islanders’ best hope is the centrist Aatu Raty It has a significant value in the trading market. A two-way center, Räty could be of interest to Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin, especially when trading.

Also, if Vancouver moves Horvat, that probably means they will be completely rebuilt. And Räty isn’t a bad piece to help kick off a comeback.

But Islanders also have a few defensive possibilities that could get the job done.

There’s no doubt that the Islanders’ 2023 first-round pick will also need to be in the game.

Islanders have several backend possibilities that could be included in the runoff. samuel bolduc (2019) and Calle Odelius (2022).

Bolduc is in his third AHL season with the Bridgeport Islanders. The 22-year-old defender, who missed an important time last season due to his injury, played with 4 goals and 16 assists in 24 games.

18-year-old Swede Odelius currently plays for Djurgardens IF in his home country and has four assists in 25 games.

Here is our current trade package:

To Canucks: Samuel Bolduc, Calle Odelius, 2023 1.
To the islanders: Bo Horvat

Another top pick should return to Vancouver if an extension is available. However, Horvat’s camp probably doesn’t intend to extend it because he could do very well for himself if he tests free agent after a career year.

Potential Islanders Ranking

Since Horvat was a centre, one had to cross into the wing. We’ve seen Mathew Barzal play wing late in games and practice this season, and Brock Nelson has played wing before.

The striker group of the Islanders might look like this:

Brock Nelson-Mat Barzal-Oliver Wahlstrom

Anders Lee-Bo Horvat-Anthony Beauvillier

Zach Parise-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Kyle Palmieri

Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

The New York Islanders did not add a forward this summer, as they believe in Lamoriello’s forward group. Some players like Zach Parise, Mathew Barzal and fourth line have bounced back, but others like Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier are still struggling and it’s clear head coach Lane Lambert has a hard time finding consistent line combinations.

There’s no doubt that a striker needs to be brought in if the Islanders want to compete for a Stanley Cup. Bo Horvat and his vehicles could be a contribution helping them bounce back into the postseason after a lackluster 2021-22 season, but also a key player that could help the organization return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1984.