Bo Horvat, No.14: Could The Star Become The Islanders’ Next Captain?

Bo Horvat is one of the most interesting players on the New York Islanders. Not only is he a star, but he’s also one of their best players and could be the team’s captain. He scored 57 points last season, but missed more than a dozen games with injuries. That was unfortunate, as he was having a great season. He was selected to be a member of Team Canada in the Olympics.

Bo Horvat was one of two Alternate captains for the team last season. With Andres Lee off to the Utah Manmouth on a free-agent contract, the Islanders need to select a new captain for the first time since 2018. Do you think the Islanders will give the captaincy to Horvat, or could they go this season without one?

Bo Horvat’s Career Statistics

Bo Horvat has been a solid scorer in his career. He falls below the stars, like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, into the second tier. He has been there for a long time. He played for the Vancouver Canucks for nine seasons before getting traded to the Islanders three seasons ago.

For Vancouver, Bo Horvat was the captain (see below) and a reliable scorer. He scored 52 and 54 points in his last two seasons there. He actually scored 70 points in that last season, because he was traded to the Islanders and scored 16 points for them in 30 games.

With the Islanders, he scored 68 points in 81 games, then 57 points in 81 games. Last year he scored 57 points in just 68 games. He was +8, the best mark of his career. He is also a reliable goal scorer, scoring at least 30 goals in the last 5 seasons (except that he scored 28 goals in 2024-5).

At 31 years of age, Bo Horvat is likely in his prime, and he will be there for a couple more years. Then, expect a slow decline in his production. He is under contract until the 2031-32 season. So, he is expected to be around for a while. His longevity and his previous experience make him a leading candidate to be the Islanders’ next captain.

Will Bo Horvat be the Captain?

Andres Lee has been the captain of the Islanders since the 2018 season, when John Tavares signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He signed a three-year free-agent contract with the Utah Mammoth. With him gone, the team needs to name a new captain. Bo Horvat has captaincy experience, is one of the team’s best players, and has served as an alternate captain.

However, there might be a problem. If Bo Horvat is named captain of the New York Islanders, does the team take it away from him at any point before his contract expires? This is a highly relevant question because the team would like to give its captaincy to Matthew Schaefer. He said he does not want the honor this season, but the budding superstar is captain material and will probably become one a year from now, especially if the Islanders sign him to a long-term contract.

Conclusion

The question of whether Bo Horvat will be named Captain of the Islanders is an interesting one. As trivia, both he and Schaefer are from Hamilton, Ontario, where the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate is now located. One thing is for certain: with his history of solid production, Bo Horvat just needs to stay healthy, and he should be productive.