NHL.com has the fantasy hockey impact of the trade that sent valuable center Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders from the Vancouver Canucks. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy and subscribe for free to the “NHL Fantasy on Ice” podcast.
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IMPACT OF HORVAT TRADE ON ISLANDERS
The New York Islanders acquired center Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, instantly making him New York’s highest-ranked fantasy skater for the rest of the season. Horvat may lose some fantasy appeal from the trade but gives the Islanders much-needed goal-scoring help; he ranks eighth in the NHL in the category (31 goals in 49 games) and boosts their top-six forwards and power play.
The Horvat trade could also help elite goalie Ilya Sorokin, who’s ranked fourth at his position and among the top 25 overall players in standard Yahoo Fantasy leagues this season, reached his full fantasy ceiling. The Islanders now have arguably the strongest center depth in the NHL with Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and are much more equipped to contend for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Horvat is tied for ninth in the NHL in power-play goals (11) and should lift the Islanders’ power play, which has the second-worst percentage (15.5) in the league this season. That said, it’s worth noting Horvat’s shooting percentage (21.7), which is the second highest in the NHL behind Mark Scheifele (21.8) of the Winnipeg Jets among players with at least 100 shots on goal this season, could regress going to the Islanders (2.85 goals per game; 25th in NHL) from the deeper Canucks offense (3.31; 10th).
Other potential beneficiaries of the Horvat trade on the Islanders include wings Anders Lee, Kyle Palmieri, Zach Parise and also defenseman Noah Dobson (lower body) whenever he returns from injury. Because the Islanders now have so many strong center options, they could try to shift Barzal or Nelson to the wing, which could benefit either player to have even-strength exposure to Horvat. Although the trade may not significantly alter the fantasy value of Barzal or Nelson, it should provide more support around them with Horvat being a workhorse center (20:49 per game; tied for 10th among NHL forwards).
[RELATED: Horvat traded to Islanders by Canucks]
IMPACT OF HORVAT TRADE ON CANUCKS
The Canucks lose Horvat, their leading goal scorer and second-leading point producer (54 in 49 games) behind. Elias Pettersson (58 in 47 games) but added forwards with sneaky upside Anthony Beauvillier and prospect Aatu Raty.
Vancouver will likely have Pettersson and JT Miller, who signed a seven-year contract Sept. 2, 2022 to remain with them past this season, as the centers on their top two lines. A change of scenery could help Beauvillier, who ranks fifth on the Islanders in points (209 in 457 games) and fourth in goals (102) and shots on goal (897) since entering the NHL in 2016-17. Beauvillier’s best goal-scoring season came in 2017-18 (21 in 71 games).
Raty, 20, is another potential long-term fantasy asset for Vancouver, which has had a disappointing season and recently made a coaching change (fired Bruce Boudreau; hired Rick Tocchet) but has a strong young core (Pettersson, defenseman Quinn Hughesforwards Andrei Kuzmenko, Brock Boeser, Vasily Podkolzin).
Raty, who has scored two goals in 12 NHL games this season, could play for the Canucks down the stretch and is worth considering in fantasy keeper and dynasty leagues. He has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 27 games for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League this season and was a standout for Finland at the 2022 World Junior Championship (10 points in seven games).
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