Love the trade or hate the trade, Lou Lamoriello made the Islanders better

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Tip of the ballcap to Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello; he sure does have a flair for the dramatic.

Trading for Bo Horvat? Did anyone see the Islanders pulling this off on Monday? I didn’t. But here we are, jaws on the floor after yet another Lamoriello-crafted blockbuster.

In exchange for Horvat, the Vancouver Canucks received a top-12 protected 2023 first-round pick in the NHL Draft, prospect Aatu Raty, and underperforming forward Anthony Beauvillier.

Was that enough for Horvat? Hard for me to say. I don’t know what else may have been offered by other teams. Raty will probably end up being a third-line center that can play up the lineup if necessary. And Beauvillier is an expensive reclamation project until his $4.15 million contract expires after the 2023-24 season. I think the first-round pick is really the key element for the Canucks.

But I’m not here to grade the trade. I’m here to tell you that the Islanders just got better. That the GM of the team went out and got the best scorer available. And now it’s on the New York players to barge their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs..

If I was a member of the Islanders, I’d be amped. Horvat has already potted 31 goals this season, 11 on the power play – something that had to weigh heavily into Lamoriello’s decision to acquire the former Canucks captain.

The Islanders have converted on a measly 15.5 percent of power play attempts this season, second worst in the NHL. New York’s cumulative shooting percentage is 25th overall. If all goes to plan, Horvat will help in both categories.

The Islanders are two points out of a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Sure, other teams may have some games in hand. But there are still 30 games left for New York to play. It’s not out of the question that they make the dance.

Lamoriello had to do something. He couldn’t stand pat after largely staying on the sidelines this past offseason. The Islanders have struggled mightily to score goals, and a solution – Horvat – presented itself.

Here’s the most important thing: sometimes it’s less about the player being acquired. And more about the messaging within the locker room. Lamoriello just gave his entire team a huge vote of confidence.

I don’t see the Islanders being anywhere close to a rebuild. And obviously Lamoriello doesn’t either. By grabbing Horvat, he’s showing his team that he’s not giving up. And they shouldn’t either.

Beyond that, Lamoriello must believe he has a strong chance at retaining Horvat after his current contract expires at the end of the season. The Islanders GM has been on record in the past saying that he prefers not to spend on rental players unless he thinks winning the Stanley Cup is a realistic endeavor.

Think about that for a second. Do the Islanders really have a chance at hoisting Lord Stanley’s cup this season? Probably not, even with goaltender Ilya Sorokin performing heroics in net on a near-nightly basis. New York is probably still a puck-moving defenseman and some depth up front away from truly being a contender.

So to me, this is clearly a long play by Lamoriello. He has a history of retaining players obtained in-season via trade. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri being two recent examples.

And to me, that’s why Lamoriello was willing to give up a center prospect like Raty. Horvat will be 28 years old in April. He’s in the prime of his career. And if the Islanders can convince him to stay onboard, it’s a huge get.

Top NHL centermen are rarely up for grabs at such a young age. And a player like Horvat should have been a cornerstone piece for the Canucks well into the future. It’s still hard to believe Vancouver decided to let their captain go.

I’m well aware that it’s a career year for Horvat in terms of production. He’s crushing it. And maybe he is due for a regression. But is he a sure bet compared to Raty? You bet he is. And Lamoriello knows that. The veteran GM didn’t have time to wait for the young Finn to develop. And his ceiling was an unknown.

Maybe it’s a little crowded at the top end of the Islanders’ depth chart at center. But I don’t see that as a problem. I think Horvat would look great lined up with Mathew Barzal, who has long needed a linemate that can finish.

Barzal is right-handed and can play the wing. Horvat is left-handed and can do the same. They can even alternate faceoffs depending on location. To me, the forward positions have become somewhat interchangeable with how teams play. So I don’t see any concerns with the Islanders being deep down the middle.

The bottom line for me is that Lou Lamoriello just made a move that was necessary for his team. Was it the greatest trade of all time? No. Neither the Canucks or the Islanders walk away from this deal as winners in the long run.

But the Horvat trade wasn’t about five or 10 years down the road. It’s about now. It’s about next year and the season after that. Lou Lamoriello isn’t in the business of rebuilding. He’s in the business of winning Stanley Cups. And he’s willing to leverage the future.

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Love the trade or hate the trade, Lou Lamoriello made the Islanders better

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