The Islanders and Mathew Barzal on Saturday agreed on a three-year deal that will keep the team’s top scorer on Long Island until 2023, a source confirmed to The Post.
The terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it was widely reported to have an average annual value of $ 7 million. The 23-year-old star center will earn $ 3 million in 2020-21 with a $ 1 million signing bonus, $ 7 million in 2021-22 and $ 10 million in the last year, according to TSN.
Barzal’s new business links him to captain Anders Lee as the islands’ highest paid player. When he expires, Barzal will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
After missing the last five days of training camp, while the negotiations were concluded, Barzal returned on ice to the training unit of the islands on Saturday. On Wednesday, coach Barry Trotz acknowledged how difficult it will be for “anyone trying to catch up” with the first game of the season in the Islanders just a few days away.
Negotiations between the island’s general manager, Lou Lamoriello, and Barzal’s camp, which had no arbitration rights, were delayed as the NHL took time to figure out next season’s logistics amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The extra time allowed Lamoriello to clear the cover space, sending defender Devon Toews to Colorado and preparing for the imminent appointment of Johnny Boychuk’s injured long-term reserve. The islanders are now about $ 3 million above the upper limit of the salary cap, but this will be taken into account once Boychuk is placed on LTIR and the removal of his $ 6 million cap.
Barzal was the biggest Islanders producer since his first full NHL season in 2017-18, scoring 22 goals and providing 63 assists in 82 games. That year, he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy, the league’s best rookie.
The former 16th overall pick in the 2015 draft won All-Star marks in 2019 and 2020, after scoring 62 points (18 goals, 44 assists) and 60 points (19 goals, 41 assists) in each season.
During the run of the islands until the conference final last season, Barzal had a strong offensive with five goals and 12 assists in 22 games, including five points in the power play.