Thursday LNN: Bo Horvat Traded, Mark Stone Out Indefinitely, Thomas Chabot Honoured and More

With a long break ahead of us and the All-Star Weekend set to take place, we’re all bracing for some quiet times ahead. It’s been an eventful week and one that has seen a few Sens celebrations as well.

• The Vancouver Canucks garage sale has been expected for a while now, however, we didn’t necessarily expect it to come soon: Bo Horvat was traded to the New York Islanders on Monday for forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick (top-12 protected) in the 2023 NHL Draft. Some Islanders fans are not happy about losing their top prospect and the possibility of losing a first-round pick for the fourth year, especially since Horvat doesn’t come with an extension. The Canucks, well I think they’re just in a constant state of disappointment. To complicate matters, Horvat was supposed to represent the Canucks at the All-Star Game, and since he’s in a different conference now; we weren’t sure how that would work out. The NHL decided that Horvat will play for the Pacific division while representing the Islanders, which is a bit awkward to say the least.
• Thomas Chabot is loved and appreciated wherever he goes. Prior to the game on Tuesday, he was surprised with news of his induction into the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame. /

Today we got to be a part of something special as the @SJSeaDogs surprised @ThomasChabot1 with his induction into the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame! Thomas will be inducted during the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame weekend June 23-25.

Congrats, Chabby! 👏#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/TIQfewQbix

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) January 31, 2023

• More Sens awards, Claude Giroux was named the first star of the week and nobody was happier to hear the news than Shane Pinto!/

Go inside the locker room to watch the moment @28CGiroux found out he was named the NHL First Star of the Week! ⭐️#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/vxgn7tGTCU

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) January 30, 2023

• In former Sens news, Mark Stone will be out indefinitely as he undergoes back surgery which the team announced is a success. He has not played since January 12th and was initially deemed week-to-week. This is his second procedure in 9 months and the latest of a string of injuries over the past few seasons. Not only is Mark Stone considered the heart and soul of the team, but he’s also been an integral part of Eichel’s success in Vegas.
• NHL viewership in the United States has dropped by 20% and though a bifurcation of viewing options could be to blame, lots of folks are kind of scratching their heads on this one.
• Whether you like him or not, Nazem Kadri winning the Stanley Cup was a great thing for diversity in the NHL. The Stanley Cup made a visit to a mosque in Scarborough in an effort to grow the NHL’s diversity efforts./