{"id":135147,"date":"2023-02-02T11:00:06","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T16:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=135147"},"modified":"2023-02-01T18:06:28","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T23:06:28","slug":"bo-horvat-trade-the-first-domino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/02\/02\/bo-horvat-trade-the-first-domino\/","title":{"rendered":"Bo Horvat Trade the First Domino"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the Bo Horvat<\/a> trade<\/a> to Long Island<\/a>\u00a0complete, other moves are ready to go. From the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> perspective, anyway. If they can get a couple trade partners lined up, then wholesale changes can come in rapid succession.<\/p>\n

Bo Horvat Swapped for Needed Pieces<\/h2>\n

Vancouver is a team that needs everything. Moving Bo Horvat helped them with a couple of those needs, but didn’t solve everything. That being said, there may be more here than is obvious.<\/p>\n

The demand for Horvat was a classic 3-P: a pick, a prospect, and a player.<\/p>\n

The Pick<\/h3>\n

It gets just a little confusing when teams add clauses to their traded picks. The protection for this first-rounder is over the first 12 spots. That’s after the lottery, so even the 13th-16th still won’t be available if the Islanders get lucky.<\/p>\n

So Vancouver isn’t getting a top-12 pick from the Islanders this year. Given how deep the draft is, that’s still fine. Anywhere higher than 40 is a nice addition that your scouts with thank you for.<\/p>\n

The Bo Horvat trade might have gotten a higher pick, but it’s hard to imagine how. Teams lower in the standings don’t want a rental; teams higher don’t have good draft positions.<\/p>\n

It’s even fine if the Islanders stumble down league standings a bit. The 2024 draft is getting good reviews at this distance, and there’s another Vancouver-born player<\/a> making noise there. The supposedly worst-case scenario still has the Canucks getting a first-round pick. Use it or move it, that’s one more than they had before.<\/p>\n

The Prospect<\/h3>\n

Despite general manager Patrik Allvin claiming to have gotten “three first-round picks” for Horvat, Aatu Raty<\/a> \u00e4 actually went 52nd in his draft year. He was rated far higher<\/a> than that leading up to the 2020-21 season but stumbled badly. It was still a surprise just how far he slipped.<\/p>\n

A move from K\u00e4rp\u00e4t to Jukurit Mikkeli got his scoring game back, though, and he recovered well enough to come to North America. He’s mostly been in AHL Bridgeport since and will start in Abbotsford for the Canucks. There is a bit of a question if centre is his best position, but that’s where the Canucks need him. At least one more year in the AHL is probably the best move for him – and Vancouver.<\/p>\n

Will he get back to the heights of his old “possible first overall” potential? Almost certainly not. But that won’t stop him from developing into a solid middle-six centre.\u00a0 One who is, most importantly, cost controlled for another three years.<\/p>\n

The Player<\/h3>\n

Anthony Beauvillier<\/a>, unlike R\u00e4ty, jumped straight from the QMJHL to the NHL. He’s from the excellent draft of 2015, joining Canucks Brock Boeser<\/a>, Conor Garland<\/a>, Travis Dermott<\/a>, and Ethan Bear<\/a>.* That number may drop soon.
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>