Lamoriello: Horvat to Help Islanders Offense and Power Play

Lou Lamoriello knew his New York Islanders needed an influx of goals and went out and
acquired a proven goal scorer on Monday
, landing Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat in a blockbuster trade.
Lamoriello acquired Horvat, who has 31 goals in 49 games this season, for forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a top-12 protected first-round pick in the 2023 Draft. Horvat is eighth overall in the NHL in goals and his 31 tallies are 12 more than the Islanders co-leading goal scorers in Brock Nelson and Anders Lee.

"He is on the verge of having a career year and over the past several years he's been a 30 to 35-goal goal scorer," Lamoriello said. "That's going to add to certainly a need for us."
Horvat's acquisition should help bolster the Islanders offense, which was mired in a drought for most of January. The Islanders were limited to two or fewer goals in 13 of their 15 games this month, though they won their last two games heading into the all-star break. Horvat also has 11 power-play goals this season, which should help a special teams unit that has three power-play goals (3-for-64) since Dec. 10.

"It's no question in my mind that he should help our power play," Lamoriello said. "That's what we liked the most about Bo's game is his power play success and you know how he knows where to go and where to be at the right time."
The Islanders currently sit two points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and three points back of the Washington Capitals for the first wild card. The Penguins have three games in hand on the Islanders, while the Isles and Caps have played an equal number of games. The Buffalo Sabres sit one point between the Isles and Penguins.
HORVAT EXCITED FOR NEW BEGINNING
With the Islanders in the hunt for a playoff spot, Lamoriello did not want to wait until the March 3 trade deadline to add to his team. The Islanders' GM said he also did not want to risk the Canucks finding another trade partner for Horvat, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
"With the depth that we have down the middle, this is something we feel improved our hockey team today and tomorrow," Lamoriello said.

Horvat gives the Islanders five regular centers, along with Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, JG Pageau and Casey Cizikas. Nelson (46 points) and Barzal (43 points) are the team's leading scorers, while Pageau (56.3 FOW%) and Cizikas (53.3 FOW%) are the top two face-off men and tend to play more of a shutdown role.
Horvat is a Swiss army knife himself, someone who plays power play, penalty kill and has 17 even-strength goals this season. That too was appealing for Lamoriello, who values versatility and character, something signified by Horvat's four seasons wearing the "C" in Vancouver. Lamoriello did not weigh in on where Horvat would play in the lineup, or who would make a move to the wing.
7 FACTS: BO HORVAT
"I'll let the coaching staff make the decision to what the best sort of lines will be," Lamoriello said. "We've got some versatility with our centers. I've always said that if you had a choice of adding too many wings or too many centers, there's not even a question of what the answer is. Centers can always adapt."
When asked about the prospect of playing with Barzal, a gifted playmaker who has already shifted to wing a handful of times this season, Horvat said he'd be excited if he got the chance.

"I have a lot of respect for Mat's game," Horvat said. "Just his ability to make plays and pass the puck and, he's got a lot of offensive talent. I think I can complement that with some two-way play and if we do get the opportunity to play with each other, I really enjoy that. But again, it's not up to me. It's up to the coaching staff. Honestly, I'm happy to be there."
Lamoriello said he had yet to talk extensions with Horvat's agent Pat Morris, but that he hopes to keep Horvat on Long Island.
"Our intention to retain him," Lamoriello said. "We don't make these types of transactions without that in place and although it's not in place, we feel comfortable that we'll work at getting that done."
Lamoriello has always said if he thinks he can make his team better, in both the short and long term he will. On Monday, he executed that in a big way, addressing perhaps the Islanders biggest need, and bolstering a few others.
"[This trade] gave us the ability to now add a player who brings scoring and can play all dimensions and play all positions," Lamoriello said.