Additional details emerge about the Bo Horvat trade
There was big news on the trade front yesterday as Bo Horvat was dealt to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional first round pick. Many expected a contract extension to quickly come together, but it was later reported that Horvat has not had any contract negotiations with his new team. That makes this trade for the Islanders all the more questionable.
As it stands right now, Horvat is a rental for an Islander team that is currently out of a playoff spot. They sit in tenth place in the Eastern Conference and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in the eighth and final playoff spot, have three games in hand over the Islanders. This is a big risk for the Islanders.
According to Pierre LeBrun, the Canucks refused to let any team speak to Horvat before a trade. This choice likely limited their potential return in the deal.
There is still plenty of time to see how this trade plays itself out and the Islanders are getting a very good center that can help with their inconsistent offense. Horvat is going to want to cash in on his next contract and he's going to be paid a lot of money. If the Islanders don't sign him, they have paid a hefty price to have Horvat for just a few months of hockey. In order to sign Horvat, the Islanders will likely have to move out several players from their roster to get Horvat signed to a long-term contract extension.
| POLL | ||
Will the Islanders be able to sign Bo Horvat to an extension? | ||
| Yes, but they'll overpay | 83 | 38.4 % |
| Yes, they'll sign a fair deal | 30 | 13.9 % |
| No, he'll test free agency | 103 | 47.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
