The New York Islanders made the first big splash of NHL trade season, acquiring Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat on Monday. With the trade deadline more than a month away, the Islanders moved proactively to secure a deal for one of the top commodities on the market, and now GM Lou Lamoriello opened up on the possibility of reaching a long-term deal for the 27-year-old. Speaking with the media on Monday evening, Lamoriello admitted that Horvat's camp and the Islanders have not yet opened discussions over a long-term deal, via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
Speaking about a long-term extension for Horvat, Lamoriello said the Islanders “really haven't had any discussions yet” with Horvat's camp.
“I think it’s important to (start negotiations) as soon as possible,” Lamoriello said. “We’ll work at it and do the best we can. But it’s a great point. We’ll do everything we can to get it done.”
Horvat is due to hit unrestricted free agency after this season. He's in the final year of a six-year, $33 million deal he signed with the Canucks back in 2017. He figures to make significantly more than the $5.5 million AAV he collects on his current deal. After bolstering their playoff push with the acquisition, the Islanders now must decide if they're willing to meet his contract demands on a long-term deal.
Horvat himself addressed the contract situation, too.
“This all happened so fast. No talks on that yet,” Horvat said. “Obviously, we’ll see if we can get something done, but we’ll leave it to Pat (agent Patrick Morris) to handle that.”
Bo Horvat is currently the league's eighth-leading goalscorer, racking up 31 goals in 49 games, tying the career-high he set last season in 21 fewer games. The Islanders are in sixth place in the Metro Division but are hopeful that Horvat could be the missing piece that helps them make a playoff run in the second half of the season.
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