New York Islanders must add high caliber weapon to keep Barzal

The New York Islanders will do what they can to keep Mathew Barzal on the island, but must also add an offensive weapon to become a contender.

New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has come out to say that he would match any offer for restricted free-agent Mathew Barzal this summer if it got to that point during the free agency period.

He also went on to say that he intends on re-signing all remaining restricted free agents in defensemen Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews, and that he had every indication that his top-goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin would be coming over from the KHL as he is finishing off the final year of his three-year extension with CSKA Moscow.

That being said, unrestricted free agent netminder Thomas Greiss is likely on his way out, with many other UFA’s most likely joining him to free up cap room.

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We can also expect a potential buy-out of some players such as Leo Komarov, who is finishing off his first of three remaining seasons at $3 million AAV, and is just an older depth player that is taking time away from younger players with more potential.

Andrew Ladd, who has a $16.5 million dollar cap hit over the next three seasons, can be out the door as well via a trade (though he has a no-trade clause) or a buyout due to his inability to stay healthy and produce since signing a seven-year deal worth $5.5 million annually back in the summer of 2016.

And we can also see defenseman Nick Leddy traded for picks with the overly crowded back end. The 29-year old has two more years left on his deal, at $11 million dollars ($5.5 mil annually).

We do not know what moves will be made, but this is an educated guess as to what the necessary steps may to give the Islanders the best chance at signing another offensive weapon to play alongside Barzal and get this team to the next level.

Barzal needs skill around him, plain and simple. And this is not a jab at Anders Lee or Jordan Eberle, but he needs another superstar to help carry the load. He cannot be playing with fillers year after year, as Islanders fans have seen this story before.

To refresh your memory, former captain and number one overall pick John Tavares played on the island for nine seasons, before leaving for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team he believed was better-positioned to win the Stanley Cup.

Throughout his tenure on the island, management had a rough time finding him suitable linemates to get the team to the next level. It was failure after failure, ultimately wasting time and money that cannot be brought back.

At the young age of 22, Barzal has registered 207 points in 234 career National Hockey League games. His skating ability with the puck is unmatched by many, making him must-watch television when he is on the ice.

He is a superstar in the making, and even though he is not there yet, he is very close. Contract wise, we can expect him to want between $9 million and $10 million dollars annually, with a length of three to four years.

This is based on the contracts of Carolina Hurricanes star forward Sebastian Aho, whose offer sheet sent by the Montreal Canadiens was matched last offseason, being awarded $8.5 million dollars annually over five years. The 22-year old Aho has 263 points (121 goals,142 assists) in 310 NHL games. Barzal can, and most likely will, argue he is more valuable as Aho has a strong defensive core system that creates space for the forwards.

The other end that puts a cap on how much Barzal should receive belongs to the contract of Maple Leafs’ winger Mitch Marner.  A six-year deal worth $10.93 million dollars is more what Barzal will be after, a player with 291 points (83 goals, 208 assists) over his 300 games played.

And we already know the weapons that surround him, such as superstar Auston Matthews, Tavares, and up-and-coming skilled players in Kasperi Kapanen, Zach Hyman, and William Nylander.

The question becomes will Barzal take a more team-friendly deal if that meant signing an offensive weapon to join him. I am not talking about “superstar” Taylor Hall, who would cost way too much money for what he brings to the table.

But look no further than left-winger Mike Hoffman, who will most likely be testing the market after his four-year contract, split between the Ottawa Senators and Panthers, come to a close following this season.

Since 2013, Hoffman has been as consistent as they come, breaking the 20 goal and 20 assists plateau each season since then. He has proven to be more than capable offensively, scoring under 25 goals once since then, and based on how this season resumes, he should score over 30 for the second time in his career.

In 69 games this season, Hoffman has 29 goals and 30 assists, and it does not seem likely that he will stay in Florida. Whether it be via the slapshot, the wrister, or his nifty hands, this guy is a legitimate threat to reak havoc against opposing netminders every single game.

Besides scoring goals, Hoffman has registered 30+ assists over the last five seasons.

Due to entering his age 31 season, Hoffman could get a contract somewhere between $5.5 million and $7 million over three-plus years. The former is taken from Jordan Eberle’s contract and the latter of Anders Lee’s.

If the offseason comes and goes, and no player of this caliber is brought in, then this team is handcuffing themselves to becoming a real competitor for the Stanley Cup.