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The New York Islanders made a blockbuster trade today, acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks, in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a 2023 protected first-round pick. The pick is top-12 protected.
#Isles News: The New York Islanders have acquired Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks, in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a conditional first round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 30, 2023
It creates an interesting dynamic up the middle for the Islanders, already with three clear top-nine centers. Obviously, it was a large price to pay as well, but not necessarily as high as it could have been, given how valuable Horvat has been this year.
That said, giving up a first-round pick and arguably the top prospect in the system is still a lot, along with Beauvillier. Winning the trade is also contingent on Horvat re-signing. For now though, the Islanders need scoring and Horvat certainly provides a massive boost.
A longer analysis of the deal will be out soon.
**As a note to readers: Apologies to everyone for the lack of articles over the last month. I ended up having to take a bit of time off/a reduced writing schedule to start the year. That said, I’m looking towards a much more consistent schedule going forward and boosting the frequency of content from what we’ve seen over much of the last year, so stay posted in the coming days. Apologies again, and thanks to everyone for your patience.