"But this season, Team Canada made a different sort of decision. The team included Horvat in its official roster. Despite a bit of an injury scare leading up to the Olympics, Horvat was bound for Milano-Cortina. And in his first game, if there was any doubt about including Horvat in the team, the Islanders star silenced critics. Horvat scored a beauty of a goal in the second period of the game against Czechia on Thursday."
"In short, Team Canada made the right call by including Horvat in its lineup. While Horvat could be a top line center on any team, he's a bottom-six forward on a juggernaut of a team like Canada. But it's not that Horvat couldn't be the top-line center. It's that his entire skill set is much more suited for a versatile role for the Canadian side."
"Highly skilled teams need an X-factor. Such a player is capable of taking on multiple roles, forcing the opposition to adjust on the fly. That's what Team Canada was looking for in Horvat. The Islanders' top-line forward is capable of breaking a game open, while also falling into a checking role. That's not something that every team can afford to have. True two-way players are hard to come by."
Bo Horvat earned a spot on Team Canada after missing last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, overcoming an injury scare to join the Milano-Cortina roster. He scored a stunning breakaway goal in the second period against Czechia, celebrating with teammates. Horvat's skill set fits a versatile, bottom-six role on a talent-rich Canadian roster while retaining top-line capabilities at the club level. He provides a two-way presence capable of breaking games open or adopting a checking assignment. His adaptability supplies the X-factor that forces opponents to adjust. Horvat's performance validates the selection and raises expectations for continued Olympic impact.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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