[Trade] Canucks trade Bo Horvat to Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, 2023 1st-round draft pick

canuck73_3 · April 8, 2023

3 hours ago, SilentSam said:

The truth is , Horvat sucked and sucks.. Management did well to pump his stats for the best return possible , without losing a deal like they had with Lamorella.

Horvat isn’t worth more than 6.5 x6.

The return of Beau, Raty , and Hronek, and keeping a 1. ppg player for the past 4-5 seasons in Miller , is one of the most positive returns we’ve had since acquiring Miller.

Our recent NCAA signings and showings are creating more assets that might allow us to trade up at the draft, while still thickening the talent pool.

Although trading Linden may have been the best trade in franchise history,.

For this generation of the league,

trading Horvat ranks up there in a positive light.

All those reasons you have for F bombing those other teams, are players that bring you Cups,.
it’s historic in nature, .. and the generation/s you weren’t born, are the type of hockey those players represent.

Nice players, do not win Cups.

Nice Teams, do not win Cups.

The “nasty” you hold for your listed disliked players, is the nasty this team needs to bring.

Horvat was NOT that.

He may even have been a huge part of the mediocracy this team played by.…. if a team Captain is mediocre in his nature,. a team wont respond past that effort.

His skating was no better than many in the NHL , all skaters are now great in the NHL,. They have to be.

He is plainly , a far overpaid 2C.. with a small tool box.

He doesn’t suck, you just don’t like him.

Alflives · April 8, 2023

2 minutes ago, Canuck Surfer said:

Is he struggling?

The Isles hold the last Wild Card in the East. A position they did not hold when he arrived. They win by defense, have eleven goals against past 6 games.

To a degree his drop in scoring (50%) is circumstance. Barzal, the expected play-maker / puck handler on his line is out, no longer does he have Petey or Miller. Nor the + Kuz & Huggy on his PP. Even when his goals exploded this year? He had learned to drop in to seams, bump off defenders to open up for a quick shot in the slot, tip point shots & slap passes. This was credible, he learned to score in small spaces. Dino Ciccarelli, Dave Andreychuck type goals. Trade pucks in tight. They still require other guys to lug and protect the puck, distribute it. If they expected him to drive play, handle the biscuit, it was never him.

Horvats job is threefold. Win face off's & board battles; tick. Use his 216 lb frame & credible, not spectacular, skating to stay between his man & the net defensively; tick. Get in scoring position; well he's there? Cough, he's playing with Lee & Palmieri so he has to fight for position in front of the net with them. They score the same way; its not like Anders Lee is going to backspin, reverse direction twice behind the net > feed him the backhand sauce to knock in like Kuzmenko. But Horvat's line buries it in deep, does not come out. At least the other team does not score?

They are making do till Barzal, and any extra / unforseen puck wizardry arrives.

Yup. Bo does the “little things” well.

Canuck Surfer · April 8, 2023

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

Yup. Bo does the “little things” well.

He does.

As mentioned, also by others including @.Naslund. Little things are not the high skill puck handling and passing. But they do can win games.

I was happy, but surprised by the Islanders making the deal seeing him as a solution. As well as the crush of media hype suggesting he would make the difference for the Islanders; who needed goals. What they really needed was puck handling. Barzal, to a lesser extent Brock Nelson are not enough. Nor do they have a Hughes puck wizard on D. Pulock & Dobson can shoot? It's not the same. I watched analyst after analyst expound on Horvat as the top trade target. Seduced by his goals this year saying he would help them score? They are not, but are still doing ok.

It let us get a good return. I wish it had been Miller, but we were going to have three 80 point centre's. At least we traded one, and did so from strength.

Reality is many, in fact most, hockey players who win games win them Horvat style. There are only so many Draisaitl's, Johnny Gaudreau's, Erik Karlsson's, never mind McDavid. The same analysts had been taught since they were in Pee Wee to get it in deep. Get on the D, punish & tire them, cause mistakes. Play well positionally, win battles. Score on opportunity. Even when Lamoriello had Niedermayer, that was how they won.

We as the Canucks, have the skill players we need IMO. Could come out very well if we can source a few lunch pail / glue guys. Are kinda hurt by guys like OEL taking up salary & being asked to be one. He clearly fails even though he tries. We don't have room for him to be the primary puck rusher, PP point guy. Look how Karlsson is now doing better again with Burns gone? Washington won a cup when they realized they did not need Shattenkirk & Carlson. Could use an Adam Pelech, Ryan Graves, Adam Larsson; Horvat style defenseman who get the puck out even with M. Tkachuk bearing down on them, big enough to win battles.

Maybe Brisbois can do it; was just waiting for someone to notice it was important?

Especially on D, but also forwards who can PK, block shots. Not all big, some who can get quickly to the point, or corner. I miss Motte! He is UFA again this summer? Wherever there is a puck to steal or pressure. Size also helps, if they can skate. Knock the occasional defenseman out of the game. Mikheyev the closest, then, cough Miller. A big hit or fight! I like Sedin's as development guys, I honestly do. We have some prospects with the athleticism to be those guys! I wish we had Hansen teaching Podkolzin & Hoglander how to PK & forecheck, Raffi Torres or Pat Maroon teaching Dakota Joshua how ~~hit~~ to stay in the NHL 15 years!

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