NY Islanders Reportedly Received Calls on Two Top Forwards

Did the New York Islanders receive calls on their two top forwards?

Feb 7, 2023; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) congratulates New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) on his first goal as a New York Islander against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at UBS Arena. / USA TODAY Sports

The New York Islanders continue to roll through the offseason with much of the action starting to slow down following a busy opening to free agency. However, there have been some interesting nuggets to come out about the summer so far for the Islanders. 

Coming off a good season, New York is a team that is trying to figure out their direction and the path forward. With the team doing some retooling as they look to move forward with a new front office and coaching staff, it will undoubtedly still take some time. 

However, there are some things to like about the team and a reason to believe that they can be in the mix for a playoff spot next year. Matthew Schaefer will be entering year two in the NHL and will likely be an even better player than he was in his historic rookie campaign. Furthermore, with one of the best goalies in the league in Ilya Sorokin, the Islanders have a great duo for years to come. 

However, as the new regime takes over and starts to reshape the roster a bit, they might have received some phone calls about two key players. 

On his 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman spoke about teams calling up the Islanders about both Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. 

New York Wise Not to Deal These Two 

Apr 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat skates up ice during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Based on the outlook and the desire of the Islanders to do some retooling, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that teams checked in on these two players. Horvat and Barzal are the two best forwards in New York, and it would have had to take a massive deal in order to generate interest for the Islanders. 

While their contracts might have been seen as a bit steep prior to this offseason, they are now excellent value for two good players. Both Barzal and Horvat are in their prime, making less than $10 million a year. For two top-six and also first-line caliber players, that is excellent value now. 

Even though the team might be looking to do some retooling and create more cap flexibility, it would be hard to get players of the caliber of Horvat and Barzal at their current cap numbers. Furthermore, even though the team would be able to get a haul, moving either would signify more of a rebuild than a retool. Overall, it is the right decision for the team to hold on to both right now.