Islanders secure Horvat in exciting trade

News broke on Monday night, alerting everyone of the trade of All-Star Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. 

The Canucks sent their captain to New York for the acquisition of forward Anthony Beauviller, alongside prospect Aatu Raty and a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. 

Bo Horvat makes the move to the Island in the midst of a career year. His 31 goals have him eighth on the leaderboard amongst all NHL skaters. Horvat is a top-six center that will surely make an impact on this Islanders team as they try to make a run in the second half of the season to reach the playoffs and compete with the ever-improving Metropolitan division. 

Horvat is a two-way player with great offensive power that is highly in demand for a somewhat lackluster Islanders team. While he may not be a long-term solution, seeing that he is in the final year of his current contract, Horvat is expected to make an immediate impact. Bo Horvat seems to be the Islanders' best chance at reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs because, in their current position, that does not seem possible. 

The Islanders gained a reliable forward in Horvat, and they get to take advantage of the momentum that he is creating in his best season to date. 

As for the Canucks, they look to be entering a bit of a rebuilding era, seeing as they just gave away their captain and relieved their head coach Bruce Boudreau from his duties, hiring Rick Tocchet in his place. Vancouver has already had a difficult season, and they seem to be well aware of their struggles. They have been on a losing trend nearly the entire year, and at this point in the season, there is virtually zero hope left for the playoffs.

The Canucks front offices and coaching staff are likely turning their attention to the 2023 Draft Lottery. With the 2023 NHL Draft on the horizon and superstar draft prospect Connor Bedard being up for grabs, the importance has greatly shifted from playoffs to the future and rebuilding. 

Adding Beauviller to the Vancouver lineup is definitely a positive that can add up to their future in their league. The top-nine forward will have some big shoes to fill in the absence of Horvat, but he can absolutely aid the Canucks offense. 

There’s much to see in the future of these two teams and how they will continue on after such a high-profile trade at this point in the season.