What the Islanders’ elimination means for the pick the Canucks traded for Filip Hronek

Former Canucks captain Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders became the second team eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs yesterday, falling in six games to the Metropolitan Division-winning Carolina Hurricanes.

After falling into a 3-1 series hole, the Islanders almost made a series of it with a crucial Game 5 win in Carolina. But their season came to a crashing end after Paul Stastny’s overtime winner in Game 6 on Friday.

For his part, Horvat struggled mightily throughout the series, finishing with just one goal, a shorthanded tally in a lopsided Game 4 loss, and one assist. Since signing his hefty eight-year, $65 million extension in February, his Islanders tenure hasn’t gone exactly to plan (much to the joy of some Canucks fans).

The Islanders’ elimination from the postseason also gives us some clarity on the first-round draft pick from the Horvat trade that the Canucks flipped to the Detroit Red Wings for defenceman Filip Hronek.

As the playoff team with the second lowest point totals in the regular season, the Isles’ pick will land either at 18th or 17th overall, depending on how the lower-ranking Florida Panthers’ playoff run shakes out.

Before the playoffs began, any other scenario might’ve seemed unlikely. But the Panthers – perhaps thanks to a little luck from John Shorthouse and John Garrett – have pushed the record-shattering Boston Bruins to a seventh and deciding game in their opening round series.

Should the Cats pull off an upset for the ages and advance further into the playoffs, the Islanders’ pick would drop to the 17th overall selection. But with such an outcome pretty unlikely, the package Patrik Allvin gave up to Wings GM Steve Yzerman for Hronek will probably solidify as the 18th and 43rd overall selections, in a draft experts are calling one of the deepest in recent memory.

Since being acquired by the Canucks, Hronek missed all but four of Vancouver’s remaining games with a shoulder injury he suffered in his final game as a Red Wing. Hronek picked up a single assist in those four games to go along with his additional 38 points in 60 games with Detroit.

Considering the trade deadline timing of the deal – when the cost to acquire players is at its’ annual premium – and the large amount of time Hronek was on the IR, with more patience the Canucks probably could’ve gotten Hronek in the offseason at a much cheaper price than two top 50 draft picks.

At the very least, not having his $4.4 million cap hit on the books before the deadline would’ve left room to take on pending free agents from playoff-bound teams, as a way of acquiring more draft picks to replace the ones you’d give up to Detroit on the draft floor.

But what’s done is done.

How do you feel about officially giving up the 18th overall draft choice for Hronek? Let us know in the comments below.