Bo Horvat in Line for Massive Role With NY Islanders

Major minutes are in store for Bo Horvat this season with the New York Islanders.

Sep 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) attempts a shot on goal in the first period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things are going to look a little different on the ice this season for the New York Islanders after a full offseason and training camp under new head coach Peter DeBoer.

He took over the team with four games remaining in the regular season after management decided it was time to move on from Patrick Roy. They wanted to beat other teams to the punch and bring in a respected head coach to help get their team to the next level.

DeBoer is tasked with improving the defensive structure of the team, looking to cut down on giveaways and not bleed as many shots against Ilya Sorokin. An improved defense will certainly help keep him fresh in net, and it will take a team effort to do so.

One of the players whom DeBoer will be counting on to help defensively, who isn’t a blue-line player, is center Bo Horvat. The new captain of the team, he is in line for a massive role as the No. 1 center, with Mathew Barzal currently nursing an injury and still not skating.

Bo Horvat set for double duty on special teams

Mar 30, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) reacts during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As captain, Horvat has a responsibility to lead his team on and off the ice. He is going to be setting an example with his two-way responsibilities that everyone needs to buy in for the squad to be successful.

As shared by Cory Wright of NHL.com, Horvat is one of the players who is going to be counted on to play a major role on special teams. DeBoer used several different power play and penalty kill personnel groupings during the team’s practice on Sept. 24, and his veteran center was one of the players who pulled double duty, logging minutes in each role.

It takes a special kind of player to have a coach comfortable enough to deploy them in both roles, but Horvat has proven capable with the Islanders. Last season, the only player who averaged more time on the ice during power-play situations than the 3:34 he did was Kyle Palmieri, who was at 3:39 and played in 25 games before injuring his ACL.

The power-play unit is one that DeBoer is going to put a lot of focus on improving because it has been an area of weakness the last few years for the franchise.

When playing shorthanded, Horvat was on the ice for an average of 1:57 per game. That was the sixth-highest mark on the team and third most amongst forwards, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau averaging 2:24 and Simon Holmstrom averaging 2:01.

A similar amount of responsibility can be expected for Horvat under DeBoer, as he is one of the most reliable two-way players that New York has.