Bo Horvat Out 1-3 Weeks As New York Islanders Dodge a Bullet
Bo Horvat is only going to be out 1 to 3 weeks. His injury looked more severe than it did when it happened. Nevertheless, Horvat is a big part of the scoring, and especially the power play, for the Islanders.
His loss, even though shorter than it looked like it might be, is going to be felt by the Islanders. The Islanders have a lot of injuries. However, the injury to Horvat is tangentially different from the others, as he is a bona fide star. Do you think the Islanders will be able to overcome their injuries?
Bo Horvat Injury
Just when it was going well for the Islanders, they lost another key player to injury. Horvat left Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Ducks in the middle of the second period after taking an awkward fall while battling with Drew Helleson for the puck. He limped off while struggling to put weight on his left leg and went straight to the dressing room. He did not return to the game, with the Islanders announcing a lower-body injury.
“The only update I have is lower-body injury, and he’s gonna be day to day,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said after the game. The Islanders are already without Kyle Palmieri (ACL), Semyon Varlamov (knee), and Alexander Romanov (right shoulder) for the remainder of the season. Varlamov may be back this season, but nobody knows. The team has dealt with short-term injuries to Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jonathan Drouin.
Bo Horvat has scored, as of his injury, 20% of the Islanders’ goals this season. For a team that has challenges scoring, his loss is a major one. When you combine that with the other injuries, the Islanders, who keep winning, are in a difficult spot.
Opportunity For Youngsters
The injury to Horvat, when combined with the other players the Islanders are missing, means there are roster spots open to young players who have the chance to prove themselves. When one thinks of the Islanders and their young players, one thinks of No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Schaefer. While he is outstanding, he is not the only one.
Another young player for the Islanders is forward Cal Ritchie. Ritchie was acquired via trade from the Colorado Avalanche when the Islanders dealt long-time Islander star Brock Nelson. Nelson was a veteran of 901 games for the Islanders. However, Ritchie started playing well and joined the starting lineup out of necessity. He is playing better and better, and he scored in the most recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Islanders have also played several young players on defense. This is needed because of the injury to Romanov. It seems like they have a keeper in youngster Travis Mitchell. It seems they have uncovered a useful defenseman. A hockey team needs to have defensive depth. The team has opted for Mitchell over Adam Boqvist and a host of youngsters in the minor leagues with the Bridgeport Islanders. So, they have tried many young defensemen.
Conclusion
The injury to Horvat is less serious than originally thought. That is a good thing. However, since he is a big part of their offense, his loss will be felt. He is one of several players injured. What is the saying, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. The Islanders are certainly doing that by playing so many skilled, young players. They are winning, well above .500, and currently in second place in the Metropolitan division.
