Skip to content

Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Entering final year of contract

Barzal and the Islanders have yet to begin talks on a new contract, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports.

Analysis:

Barzal is finishing off his entry-level contract and could be in line for a multi-year deal that approaches an annual average value north of $9 million per season. Barzal had 22 goals and 85 points in his first full NHL season in 2017-18, but those numbers fell to 18 and 44 last season. Part of that reason for that decline is likely due to the departure of John Tavares and the extra defensive attention that Barzal had to face. The problem for Barzal is that in order for him to justify the kind of contract that he is going to likely demand, he will need to prove that he can be a player who produces no matter who else is on the team, and not only when he is playing second fiddle to another superstar.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox