Islanders' Bo Horvat has never started a season off this well: Here's how it's happening | amNewYork

"Honestly, things are just going in, Horvat told amNewYork. I've been getting a lot of chances early. I think in years past, I don't know how many shots I've had but it feels like I've been getting at least five, six, seven a night. So eventually, those are gonna start to go in. Getting those opportunities for me is big, and then when you're getting them, and capitalizing on them, I think it all just falls into place that way."

"The 30-year-old ranks within the NHL's top 20 in shots on goal with 34. It's only the second time in his career that he has had this many attempts land on net through his first nine games (2023-24). His 58 shot attempts are also a new high, meaning he's attempting nearly 6.5 shots per game. You have to get the bounces, but at the same time, you gotta create your own bounces, too, Horvat added. His bump in production is coming from what he considers to be a combination of puck luck and a new line that finally promises some sustainability moving forward."

"Rather than the carousel of wingers that surrounded him across his first one-and-a-half seasons with the Islanders, Horvat is centering two new wingers in Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman, who have stepped in seamlessly. Drouin has six points in eight games while Heineman has dazzled since coming over from the Montreal Canadiens in the Noah Dobson deal, potting five goals in nine games."

Bo Horvat is producing at better than a point-per-game with six goals and five assists in the first nine games of the 2025-26 season. He reached his sixth goal far earlier than last season, when that mark came in Game 28, and his 11th point arrived much sooner than the previous year. Horvat is generating about 6.5 shots per game, with 34 shots on goal and 58 shot attempts through nine games, placing him inside the NHL's top 20 in shots on goal. Horvat attributes the increase to a mix of puck luck and a stable new line with Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman, both contributing immediate offense.

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