Will Horvat regret new 8-year contract with Islanders?

The newest member of the New York Islanders has been locked up for the next eight seasons.

Bo Horvat, who was just traded to the Isles by the Vancouver Canucks last week, will be staying with the team long-term. While the deal is undoubtedly a win for New York, one has to wonder if Horvat will be happy with his decision down the road.

Obviously, there is a lot more to an NHL contract than fans see on the surface, but speaking strictly from an on-ice perspective, I’m surprised that the Islanders and Horvat agreed to a new contract so soon.

Will Horvat regret his deal with the Islanders?

For starters, Horvat has yet to play a game with his new team. The first time fans actually got to see the former Canucks captain in an Islanders sweater was over the weekend in Florida at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

I would be hesitant to commit eight years of my career to a team to which I was traded and had not yet played for. There have been plenty of trades in NHL history that have not worked out as expected, so I would want to know that I fit in with my new team.

If Horvat flat-out doesn’t work in New York, he and the Islanders will both find themselves in a sticky situation.

In addition to the individual fit, Horvat is gambling with the team outlook that comes with this deal. The Islanders missed the postseason a year ago and sit two spots out of a playoff position this season.

Yes, New York made a couple of deep postseason runs in 2020 and 2021, but otherwise, there hasn’t been a lot to write home about for the Isles in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Horvat had very little postseason success during his time in Vancouver, and I would expect him to want to win in the next chapter of his career. He may believe that the Islanders are championship-ready, but if that doesn’t turn out to be the case, he’ll be locked in with another non-contender.

There is a ton of upside for Horvat and the Islanders, and New York should be thrilled to have him under contract. However, this could be a move that proves to be premature for Horvat.