Jonathan Drouin, Bo Horvat building strong chemistry on Islanders’ second line

PITTSBURGH — From the first day of training camp, Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat have been stapled together on the second line, just the way Horvat and Mat Barzal used to be.

Isles coach Patrick Roy’s plan to move Barzal back to center needs a lot to go right in order to work. Drouin and Horvat forming two-thirds of a productive second line may not be the top item on the list, but it’s high up.

“I think really good,” Drouin told The Post of his chemistry with Horvat. “Especially that last [preseason] game, obviously we had zero points, but a lot of looks, a lot of good plays. Emil [Heineman’s] doing a good job, too, on that line. He’s a great addition.”

Drouin, who signed with the Islanders on a two-year, $8 million deal this offseason, is the only new veteran on a team with plenty of new, young talent in Heineman, Max Shabanov and Matthew Schaefer.

Having played the last two seasons with the Avalanche — the third stop in a career that also includes stints in Tampa and Montreal — Drouin has been on plenty of teams that contended for the Stanley Cup, including two that made the Final with the 2014-15 Lightning and the 2020-21 Canadiens.

Jonathan Drouin skates with the puck during the Islanders’ preseason loss to the Rangers on Sept. 29, 2025. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

His speed and passing ability should open more opportunities for the Islanders, particularly on a line with a proven scorer in Horvat and Heineman, whose shot has looked like a serious weapon throughout camp.

“I think Bo plays, all around, a very good game,” Drouin said. “[Heineman’s] shot and the way he thinks the game, he’s gonna find his spots in the O Zone. It’s just up to me and Bo to get him that puck so he can shoot.”

Bo Horvat has developed a solid chemistry with second-line mate Jonathan Drouin. Getty Images

Heineman started camp on the fourth line, but worked his way into the top six and will be there when the season opens on Thursday night against the Penguins.

“His shot, his speed, his strength,” Roy said of Heineman Wednesday. “But more importantly, the way that he conducts himself. The way he comes on the ice and always ready, I love that.”

Cal Ritchie (lower body) has started to skate on his own, per the Islanders.

Kyle Palmieri will continue wearing an ‘A’ at home, with Ryan Pulock doing so on the road, just as the Islanders ended last season after trading Brock Nelson.

The Islanders announced Vanda Pharmaceuticals as their exclusive jersey patch partner with a multiyear deal in place.