Traversing the conventional path would have gone something like this: the Islanders, who have not looked close to being a Stanley Cup contender this season and in fact have been one of the NHL’s poorer teams for the last two months, would have waited a little while. longer before determining whether it was the right time to buy, sell or even stand pat ahead of the March 3 NHL trade deadline.
General manager Lou Lamoriello, though, has already determined which direction he prefers. And he’s going full speed.
In one of the biggest trades in recent franchise history, the Islanders acquired elite top-line center Bo Horvat from the Canucks for a conditional 2023 first-round pick, prospect center Aatu Raty and speedy yet inconsistent forward Anthony Beauvillier. Horvat will join the Islanders in time for their game on Feb. 6 in Philadelphia when their season resumes after the All-Star break, and there will be no time to waste, with the team sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and just 30 games left to play.
The trade loudly signals that Lamoriello believes this is still a team that can win the Stanley Cup this season — despite nearly nightly inconsistent efforts, a 10-14-5 record since Nov. 29, a stretch of scoring two or fewer goals in 12 of their last 13 games, and a power play that is in an abysmal rut of scoring just three goals in 64 opportunities over the last 24 games (and 0-for-25 in their last 10).
“In my opinion, (Horvat) makes us a better team and gives us a better opportunity to get what we want to do,” Lamoriello said in a call with the media on Monday evening. “During the year you find out if you have a chance to get into the playoffs. That’s the first goal. Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. We’ve seen that year in and year out. I believe that he improves us to give us that opportunity to get in the playoffs, and we’ll go one step at a time.”
One of the more surprising aspects of the deal is that there is apparently no extension in place for Horvat, especially when you consider Lamoriello’s disdain for rentals. But he made it crystal clear that the goal is to sign the 27-year-old to a long-term deal.
“It’s important to do as soon as possible,” Lamoriello said. “We’ll work at it and do the best we can. … We’ll do everything we can to get it done.”
Echoed Horvat, currently vacationing in Disneyland with his family: “Nothing’s been discussed yet. It all happened so fast.”
Horvat ends his career in Vancouver — which began when the Canucks acquired the ninth pick in the 2013 draft from the Devils for Cory Schneider in another trade by Lamoriello — with 201 goals and 420 points in 621 games, serving as the captain since 2019. He has 31 goals and 54 points in 49 games this season, and upon his arrival will immediately become the Islanders’ most dangerous goal-scoring threat.
But will it be enough for them to get out of what has been a significant scoring rut, with just 22 goals in their last 13 games? In Horvat’s final game with Vancouver, he notched four assists in a 5-2 Canucks win over Columbus. The Islanders haven’t scored four goals as a team since Jan. 3 in Vancouver against Horvat and the Canucks.
At some point, Lamoriello will have to do more. While adding Horvat will make them a more dangerous offense, it doesn’t solve their depth problem. After all, Beauvillier was a mainstay in the lineup; even Raty had played the previous five games.
Oliver Wahlstrom remains out after his knee bent awkwardly in a game against Pittsburgh on Dec. 27 and Cal Clutterbuck is listed as out indefinitely, so it’s fair to wonder if either will be back at all this season.
Perhaps that’s why Lamoriello was willing to reveal that the Canucks retained 25 percent of Horvat’s $6 million salary, which essentially makes this deal a wash in terms of salary cap room, as Beauvillier carries a $4.15 cap hit. According to CapFriendly, the Islanders will have approximately $9 million of salary cap space come deadline day. Adding another forward — particularly one that gets to the front of the net, which has been a season-long issue with this group — should still be on his to-do list.
In the meantime, the Islanders will have to win some games and stay in a race that includes established veteran teams like Washington and Pittsburgh, and improving teams like Buffalo and Florida.
Horvat will have to help kickstart the offense.
“Obviously I’m going to try and do whatever I can to help that,” he said. “I think I can definitely add that two-way element where you can put me out in any key situation, take a big face-off, be out there at the end of the game scoring a big goal, or at least helping on it. .”
Said Lamoriello: “The way our power play has been right now, there’s no question in my mind that he should help our power play. … That’s what we liked the most about Bo’s game is that his power play success, and how he knows where to go and where to be at the right time.”
It seems likely that Horvat will allow the Islanders to shift Mathew Barzal to the wing, where Lambert has used him from time to time this season. Lamoriello mentioned Horvat’s face-off prowess, which is an important part of what makes him such a strong player — he had a 56.0 percent success rate last season and is at 57.0 this season. Barzal, meanwhile, has been pretty much taken out of the circle by Lambert, as he’s won just 35.9 percent of his draws.
Horvat knows Barzal and some other Islanders a bit from playing in the World Championships in 2018 on a Canadian squad that also included Ryan Pulock, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Josh Bailey.
“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 and I think I can compliment that with some two-way play. If we do get the opportunity to play with each other I’d really enjoy that. It’s up to the coaching staff.”
Lamoriello also said it’s Lambert’s decision on how to use Horvat, but added: “Centers can always adapt, but wingers can’t adapt to center ice.”
Still, the trade feels like a pretty big risk, particularly for the future. The Islanders’ prospect pool is already thin, and 2023 will make it four straight seasons without a first-round pick. If the Islanders miss the playoffs and the pick ends up being in the top 12, thereby meeting the condition that’s attached to it, then not having a 2024 first-rounder no matter where it falls will be particularly difficult to stomach.
“It’s always tough,” Lamoriello said of having to surrender another first-round pick. “You have to judge what your scouts feel the draft is, where a cutoff line is. It’s never easy, but I believe that we’ve got some excellent prospects here right now that will play in the National Hockey League.”
Whether they have enough talent already playing in the National Hockey League to make a run remains debatable, though. Even after the addition of Horvat.
(Photo: Bob Frid / USA TODAY Sports)
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