New York Islanders Sign Mathew Barzal Long Term

The New York Islanders announced they have re-signed Mathew Barzal to an eight-year contract extension worth $72.3 million. Barzal’s new contract carries a salary cap hit of $9.15 million.

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that Mathew Barzal has agreed to terms on an eight-year contract.

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Islanders Keep Barzal on Long Island

After having a quiet off-season, the Islanders made a splash a week before the season started. The team has extended their top forward for another eight seasons. With Barzal being a pending restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, the Islanders wanted to get this extension done quickly. Barzal was coming off a three-year bridge deal worth $21 million. And though the team had control, it was better to get this deal done now then wait until the summer.

However, Barzal and the team were not worried about getting an extension. While general manager Lou Lamoriello did not want to comment on contract negotiations, which is typical of Lamoriello, Barzal was more open about the ongoing discussions as the Islanders wrapped up their season last year.

Barzal stated to the media that he would love to sign long-term with the Islanders and that Long Island was his home. He echoed those sentiments during his trip out to Las Vegas for the 2022-23 NHL Media Player Tour.

“I love Long Island, so it’s somewhere I’d want to stay,” Barzal said to Bill Price of NHL.com. “I would like to be there. It obviously is a business, but at the end of the day, I love Long Island. So, if we can make it fair and both sides are happy, then I’d sign it tomorrow.”

Well, that day has come and the Islanders have kept their homegrown boy for eight more seasons.

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The Islanders drafted Barzal in the first round (16th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. In his rookie season of 2017-18, Barzal led all NHL rookies in scoring and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. He was the fifth Islanders player to win that award.

During five full seasons in the league playing in 362 career regular-season games with the Islanders, Mathew Barzal has recorded 311 points (91 goals and 220 assists) including 59 points (15 goals and 44 assists) in 73 games last year with the Islanders. In 49 postseason games, Barzal has recorded 38 points (13 goals and 25 assists). During his time with the Islanders, New York went to back-to-back conference finals losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Islanders hope with Barzal locked up as part of the future, they can finally achieve their goal of winning a Stanley Cup.