Bo Horvat Has Scored on the Power Play in Three Straight Games, and Frank Nazar's Head Hit Puts His Weekend in Doubt

Bo Horvat scored twice in the New York Islanders' 4-1 win over Chicago on Thursday, including a power-play goal for the third game in a row, and then left the ice after Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar drove a shoulder into his head in the closing minutes. Nazar received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head. Head coach Peter DeBoer said afterward only that Horvat was still being evaluated, and reports indicated he was likely in concussion protocol. The Islanders host Tampa Bay on Saturday night.

For fantasy managers, this is the worst kind of timing. Horvat has been one of the hottest centers in the league through the first week, and he has been central to a retooled Islanders power play. Whether he plays Saturday, and what the club's update says about a possible concussion, determines how much of that production carries forward.

The hot start

Horvat has a point in all four Islanders games. He had an assist in the opening loss in Toronto, scored the club's first power-play goal of the season against New Jersey (also his 100th goal as an Islander), scored on the power play again in a loss to the Rangers, and then added two more against Chicago.

Thursday's first goal came late in the first period, when he pounced on a rebound of Matthew Schaefer's shot from the high slot on the man advantage. The second went into an empty net, and it was just after that shot that Nazar hit him. It was the 41st multi-goal game of his career, and it pushed the Islanders to 2-2-0.

Is it sustainable?

Some of it, yes. Horvat's role is the strongest argument. Under DeBoer, he is the first-line center at even strength, skating with Emil Heineman and Kyle Palmieri, and he works the bumper spot on the top power-play unit with Schaefer quarterbacking from the point. DeBoer and assistant Rocky Thompson have emphasized movement on the power play, and the early returns are real. A center who touches the puck in the middle of the ice on the first unit will keep generating high-danger looks.

The part that will cool off is the conversion rate. Four goals in four games, one into an empty net, is a pace no center sustains, and power-play goals in three straight games reflect both good process and good bounces. Horvat has historically been a strong finisher with a high share of his goals coming from in tight, so his shooting percentage should settle somewhere above league average rather than collapse, but a quiet stretch is coming at some point. Treat him as a strong top-six center with power-play upside, not as a point-per-game breakout.

The other factor is Mathew Barzal. Barzal has been on injured non-roster with inflammation in his left knee and was expected to resume skating this week. When he returns, he reshapes the power play and likely takes over some of the puck-carrying that has flowed through Schaefer and Horvat. That should help the unit overall, but it adds competition for touches.

Fantasy fallout if he misses time

If Horvat is unavailable Saturday, reports point to Kyle MacLean drawing into the lineup and Brayden Schenn potentially sliding from the wing to center. Schenn is the name to watch in deeper leagues. He already has top power-play exposure from camp, and a move to center on a top-six line would give him a short-term bump in usage. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, already centering the second line, is another candidate for more minutes.

For Horvat managers, do not overreact before the team's update. If he is ruled out Saturday, slide him into an IR or bench spot and hold. Concussion timelines vary widely, and a player with this role is not someone to drop on uncertainty. If you have a weekly lineup lock, the safe move is to bench him unless he is confirmed for Saturday.

The Nazar question

Nazar was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the hit, and a line brawl followed. As of Friday, the NHL's Department of Player Safety had not announced a hearing, though Chicago-area coverage noted the hit could lead to league discipline. A phone hearing would cap any suspension at five games, while an in-person hearing would signal a longer ban. For Blackhawks fantasy managers, Nazar's ice time and power-play role are what is at stake, and a suspension would open minutes for Chicago's depth centers.

The Verdexed take

Horvat's injury status is the swing factor in Saturday's Lightning game. With him, the Islanders' power play has been a genuine weapon. Without him, New York loses its top-line center and its hottest finisher, and the depth chart gets thin quickly, particularly with Alexander Romanov already lost on defense.

Our lean: if Horvat is ruled out, we would be cautious on the Islanders' team total and favor Tampa Bay at a modest price. If he is confirmed in, the matchup is close to even, and Ilya Sorokin, who made 22 saves Thursday, keeps the Islanders competitive at home. Horvat player props, particularly anytime goal scorer and power-play points, should wait for confirmation, and even if he plays we would expect his conversion rate to cool off.

What's next

The Islanders practice Friday, and that is where the first meaningful update on Horvat should come. Watch for whether he skates, whether the club uses concussion language, and whether Barzal is cleared. The league's decision on Nazar is the other piece of news to watch for.

Verdexed's game probabilities are at /nhl/predictions, and the nightly slate breakdown is at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-10-09. Until the Islanders confirm Horvat's status, the actionable move is simple: hold Horvat, monitor the Friday update, and keep Schenn on a short watch list in deeper formats.