Islanders: Why a bridge deal makes sense for Mathew Barzal

A bridge deal would make sense for both the New York Islanders and for soon to be RFA center MathewBarzal.

I previously wrote a piece on how New York Islanders top player Mathew Barzal could be in the market for a contract similar to that of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, who signed a seven-year deal with an annual average value of $10.983 million back in September.

However, with the financial devastation that is striking communities worldwide, specifically in the United States, the thought of NHL players fighting for max contracts does not seem likely. They are more cognizant of the areas in which they reside, as well as their appreciation to get involved.  And with times being as tough as they are right now, being greedy is a poor marketing tactic.

Barzal has paid close attention to how contract talks played out with Marner, as well as Sebastian Aho, who saw his offer sheet matched by the Carolina Hurricanes worth $42.27 million over five years.

With 207 points (59 goals, 148 assists) in 230 games, Barzal has become the most critical piece to the Islanders franchise since his arrival. His play indicates that he is worth around $10 million per season.

Barzal’s edge work is something that separates him from everyone else in the league, and his ability to create space and find his teammates makes him worth more than what the stat sheets say.

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Because of the financial issues brought on by COVID-19, the league is facing pending issues with the salary cap, as the expectation for it to rise does not seem possible. And that impacts contract negotiations. While both Marner and Aho received offer sheets, I do not see that in Barzal’s future.

The reason being is because Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has made it clear that he will do what it takes to re-sign Barzal, and hoped to get that done before the free agency period officially begins.

This statement is telling opposing teams to not waste their time by sending offer sheets because the price is being matched regardless.

And while there have not been any contract discussions recently, Barzal stated that he is confident he will be back with the Islanders next year.

Andrew Gross of Newsday mentioned on a live Twitter talk that he could see the Islanders and Barzal go the bridge deal route. For those that do not know what a bridge deal is, this is when a player signs a deal, usually one to three years, for less money up front in hopes that their play over that time will showcase that they deserve that hefty pay raise and more. And this makes the most sense for both the Islanders as an organization and Barzal.

A maximum deal in the future, due to him being only 22 years of age, will be worth a lot more than a max contract this offseason. Because the salary cap will be rising over that time it makes sense for the verging superstar to wait.

For the Islanders, they have three RFA’s in Barzal, Pulock, and Toews that need to be re-signed. The Islanders also need to have available funds to go out and sign a high-caliber weapon to help bolster their offensive production if they want to take the next step in becoming a true contender.

A Barzal bridge deal may be a little different due to how long he has to wait to become an unrestricted free agent.  In order to become unrestricted, a player must play seven seasons in the NHL.

Barzal is coming to the end on his third season, which means the Islanders could offer him a bridge deal for longer at five years, worth $42.5 million dollars. That deal would bring him to his age 27 season, an age where players like to be for another big contract.

The Islanders did the same thing with former captain John Tavares, who took a bridge deal of $27.5 million over five years before signing his long term deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Tavares did not see the island as a place where winning when it was time for another deal before he fled up north back in the summer of 2018. But for Barzal, new management from the ownership down to the coaching staff has given Islander players, as well as fans, a reason to be hopeful.

For the first time in quite a while players are attracted to joining the Islanders, whether it be Pageau signing a long-term deal after being acquired or Andy Greene, who waived a no-trade Clause before being dealt from New Jersey. Even  Zach Parise of the Minnesota Wild agreed to do the same as talks about a trade with the Islanders was gaining heat on Trade Deadline Day.

And with a forever home being built in Belmont, this is going to be a fun franchise to be a part of. The Islanders know how important Barzal is to this team and talking sooner rather than later will go a long way into determining what kind of contract will be given to the prized youngster.

While Barzal might want to be set with a maximum deal now so that he has financial stability in case of injury or lack of production, a bridge deal at this time is the way to go.