The season is not over yet for at least two Islanders.
Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson were named to Team Canada’s roster for the World Championships on Thursday, and it is a strong possibility that Simon Holmstrom will participate in the competition for Team Sweden as well.
For the two who have been officially named, this was a logical step to take in advancing their chances of participating in February’s Milano Cortina Olympics after they were left off Team Canada’s squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
It should not come as a surprise that many of the initial 15 players named to Team Canada on Thursday — Macklin Celebrini, Adam Fantilli, Travis Konecny, Brandon Montour, Travis Sanheim and MacKenzie Weegar, in addition to the pair of Islanders — are somewhere on the bubble for the 25-man Olympic team.
“I don’t know exactly what it’s like, but the mindset going into it, for me, I only played 70 games this year, my body feels pretty good. And also with the Olympics coming up, it’s an opportunity to represent your country and put yourself in a position to get on the radar going into next season,” Dobson said at breakup day, when the defenseman expressed a strong interest in donning the maple leaf. “Go into the summer feeling good, hopefully try and win a gold medal.”
For the 25-year-old Dobson, this is also a chance to get his game back on track after an up-and-down season that represented a step back from a breakout campaign of two years ago. Dobson had just 39 points, his worst in any non-COVID-affected season, and struggled all year on the power play while making a number of high-profile errors in his own zone.
He is expected to receive a major bump in pay this offseason and potentially a long-term deal as a restricted free agent, but it’s possible his performance this season will cause some hesitancy for the Islanders to hand out the sort of contract for which Dobson will ask.
Horvat also sounded notes of interest about World Championships at breakup day, and looks a possibility to get top-line minutes for Team Canada.
“It’s definitely something to consider,” he said at breakup day. “It’s a pretty big year Olympics-wise, next year. I think it’d be a good stepping stone for me to go prove myself, represent my country. If I do get that opportunity, I’d take it.”
Horvat has played at Worlds once before, coming in fourth with Team Canada in 2017-18.
The Canadians also finished fourth last year in a tournament won by host nation Czechia.
While Sweden, one of this year’s hosts along with Denmark, has yet to announce its roster, Holmstrom would be a logical addition after scoring 20 goals with 25 assists for the Islanders this season.
Like Horvat and Dobson, Holmstrom is also a player with a shot of making the Olympic team, and so has something to prove by representing his country this spring.
“I haven’t really thought about it that much,” Holmstrom said at Islanders breakup day. “I have a contract that I gotta sign and been focused on this season.”
