The New York Islanders signed center Mathew Barzal to an 8-year contract extension worth $73.2 million. This contract carries him through the 2030-31 season.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1577336016050049024?s=20&t=bpPmPMk3IVOEMemvUYgw-w
Islanders Extend Mathew Barzal
The Islanders drafted Barzal as the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Over his six-year career, he has put up 91 goals and 220 assists for 311 points over 362 games. He’s played all six seasons with the Isles.
Last season he scored 15 goals and 44 assists for 59 points in 73 games. He added 18 minutes in penalties, the lowest since his rookie season. His possession numbers were 5.7 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 12.
The extension won’t count against the salary cap until the 2023-24 season. Barzal would become the highest-paid player on the current roster.
“The New York Islanders announced today that Mathew Barzal has agreed to terms on an eight-year contract,” the team said via their Twitter account.
In response to contract talks earlier this offseason, Barzal reaffirmed his love for New York. “I love Long Island, so it’s somewhere I’d want to stay,” Barzal said. “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.”
What This Means for the Future
General manager Lou Lamoriello spoke highly of Barzal earlier this summer. “He’s ready to prove a lot of things, and I got total confidence, and I’m his biggest fan,” Lamoriello said. “You know, he’s without question one of our leaders, you know, without question, probably our most talented player, and he’s committed without question.”
Barzal is one of the most prominent leaders in the Islanders’ locker room. The 8-year extension proves how much the organization trusts the players under contract to bring continued success to the organization.
Matthew Barzal reached the 50-point mark in his 49th game this season. The only other rookies in Islanders history to require fewer than 50 games to hit the 50-point plateau were Bryan Trottier in 1975–76 and Mike Bossy in 1977–78 #elias pic.twitter.com/73S0TS1ZdS
— BucciParmPastaExtension (@Buccigross) January 23, 2018
