The New York Islanders resume their post-All-Star season stretch run tonight in Philadelphia with a shiny new toy and a hope for both short-and long-term boosts to their future.
Bo Horvat, acquired at the beginning of the bye week and signed to an 8-year extension at the end of it, makes his Islanders debut, likely to line up with Mathew Barzal. Pushing Barzal to the wing enables the Islanders to maintain their strength up the middle — now Horvat, Brock Nelson, J-G Pageau and Casey Cizikas — while upgrading their forward offense. It’s something they surely welcome while struggling to get over two goals per game during their many struggles before the break.