New Jersey Devils: 5 Trade Rentals That Might Actually Be Worth It
By Nick Villano
Bo Horvat – New York Islanders
Yeah, we know. Bo Horvat was JUST sent to the New York Islanders, and the Devils likely didn’t want to pay the price it took to get him from the Canucks. However, there’s a good chance the Islanders aren’t in contention still on March 3rd. Would you really put it past Lou Lamoriello to trade for Horvat for a month to see if it works and immediately flip him for a similar or possibly even better return?
The Islanders are only in charge of $4.125 million this season with the Canucks taking on $1.375 million. This allows the Islanders to take half of his current salary, which puts him at just over $2 million for the rest of the year against the salary cap. The Devils could make $2 million work.
The issue really is the rental status of Horvat. Would the Devils want to give Horvat eight years and the type of price he’s seeking? The Devils still have to pay Bratt, and it’s much easier to accept paying Bratt and Meier close to $18 million when they’re 24 and 26 than Bratt and Horvat when he’s a year older and has less of a track record.
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Still, Horvat changes the perception of the Devils this season. That’s the point of a rental. It takes something to get something, and Horvat is a very good something. There is a lot of “what ifs” here that would need to fall the Devils way, but Fitzgerald and Lamoriello have worked together in the past. It could happen if the Islanders aren’t seeing the results they expected.