Canucks trade Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders

It finally happened: the Vancouver Canucks have pulled the trigger on a Bo Horvat trade.

The Canucks announced today they’d sent Horvat, captain of the team, to the New York Islanders.

In return, the Canucks receive forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty, and a 2023 first-round draft pick.

Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the pick is top-12 protected, meaning it could come in a future draft if the Islanders land within the top-12 picks.

First-rounder from NYI to VAN is top-12 protected this year

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 30, 2023

The news follows weeks of rumours of the Canucks’ plans to trade Horvat.

Horvat had 201 goals and 219 assists in 621 games for the Canucks in his career.

He was named captain in 2019, the club’s first since the retirement of Henrik Sedin in 2018.

“First of all, we would like to thank Bo Horvat for all that he has done for the Vancouver Canucks during his nine seasons in Vancouver,” said Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin in a release. “He has been a great leader and ambassador for our hockey club. As difficult as it is to trade away our captain, we are excited to add a high-quality 25-year-old winger in Anthony Beauvillier, a young centre in Aatu Raty, and a protected first-round draft pick. These pieces will be a big part of our development and growth moving forward.”

Beauvillier has 102 goals and 107 assists in 457 games for the Islanders in his career, having spent the last seven seasons with the team since being drafted in the first round by them in 2015. He is currently making $4.15 million this season and next, with the possibility of hitting unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

Raty is a 2021 second-round selection of the Islanders who has played just 12 NHL games in his career, scoring two goals so far in his rookie season. He remains in the second year (with a one-year slide) of his entry-level contract, with his contract having an annual average value of $902,000 that will expire in 2025.

Allvin is expected to meet the media later today.