After a wait, the talented young centerman has re-signed to stay on Long Island.
It began to seem as though center Mathew Barzal and the New York Islanders might not come to an agreement in terms of a contract.
The 23-year-old hadn’t been signed and even though he was on the Islanders’ training camp roster, he missed the first several days , a concerning sight.
But no need to fret, Islanders fans. The young stud is back.
Per David Pagnetta of Sirius XM and The Fourth Period, Barzal was given a three-year deal by the Islanders on Saturday.
Per sources, the Islanders and RFA Mathew Barzal have agreed to terms on a 3-year deal.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 9, 2021
Darren Dreger of TSN broke down the contract details. Barzal will be making four million dollars this year, seven million next, and $10 million in his third year, coming out to a total of $21 million.
Barzal 3 years. 1) $4 mil. 2) $7mil 3) $10 mil.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 9, 2021
Barzal, who became a restricted free agent after the 2019-20 season came to a close, agreed to this bridge deal that will benefit the Islanders, who are in some cap trouble, in the short term.
Barzal is clearly worth more than he’ll be getting, but it’s in the Islanders’ best interest for him to still be a RFA when this deal is up.
It’s worth noting that Barzal did attend camp on Saturday and has already gone back to scoring goals.
Barzal is the Islanders’ best player, so it’s incredibly important that the team locked him up as they hope to embark on a journey that will take them to the Stanley Cup Final this year.
For fans, three years doesn’t seem like enough for a talent such as Barzal, so the hope will be that the team can sign him long-term when the time comes.
