Mat Barzal signs $73.2 million contract extension with Islanders
Mathew Barzal wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to remain on Long Island.
The superstar center inked an eight-year extension on Tuesday, the Islanders announced, a deal that reportedly will pay him a $9.15 million average annual value, keeping Barzal with the team that drafted him through what will be his prime years with a contract that doesn’t expire until 2031. The deal kicks in following this season, in which Barzal will earn $7 million on the final year of a bridge deal signed in 2021.
“It’s one of those days you’re never gonna forget,” Barzal told reporters. “Called my parents last night when I got done. Anytime your mom’s got a tear in her eye, you either did something really good or something really bad.”
Barzal’s commitment to the organization is key from a hockey standpoint and creates the sort of cornerstone the Islanders can build on as they work to attract top free agents in the future. In recent years, the organization has been spurned by no shortage of summer targets, and the scar from John Tavares’ departure in 2018 still lingers. But if Barzal, a British Columbia native, grew up wearing Canucks footie pajamas, those photos have evidently been long discarded.
On Tuesday, Barzal showered praise on the Islanders, from teammates to equipment managers to the public relations staff to the fans. He sees Long Island as home, and now has the contract to prove it.
“I love it here. I genuinely do,” Barzal said. “I think anyone that plays here knows, I think it’s one of the top places to play in the league. From the rink we have, the practice rink, UBS [Arena], the boys in the room, Lou [Lamoriello] being here, fresh coaching staff and the city itself, 30 minutes from New York City, the lifestyle is elite.
“I’ve loved it here. Literally every minute. There’s really no other place I’d rather be.”
Barzal said negotiations started about two months ago between his agent, J.P. Barry, and Lamoriello. At the onset of training camp, he said he was willing to negotiate into the season if necessary, but both he and Lamoriello said Tuesday that getting it done prior to Oct. 13 was important given the potential for distractions.
Along with defensemen Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, Barzal is one of three players under contract through at least 2029. Last season, in a down year, Barzal scored 59 points (15 goals, 44 assists) and struggled to mesh with a rotating cast of linemates. The questions about who is best on either side have lingered into training camp, but Barzal has stressed that he feels his game has progressed on the defensive end over the years. And his eye-catching talent as one of the league’s best skaters and most dynamic handlers of the puck is undeniable.
“I don’t think anybody is the face of the franchise. The logo is the face of the franchise and I’ll repeat that as many times as somebody asks me that,” Lamoriello said. “But Mat, I’m a fan because Mat has the ability to raise his game and to be a special player. And now with this contract and our faith in him puts that responsibility on him. We’re trusting him, now it’s up to him also, to respond to that.”
The Islanders have made their belief in their core a bedrock of their philosophy going into this season, despite missing the playoffs in 2022. That belief radiated from Barzal on Tuesday.
“Hopefully we can get some more guys locked in in the next couple years and just ride with this group,” Barzal said. “I feel confident. I think anytime you go to war with guys that are your best buddies and in your bachelor parties and at your weddings, you want to win for each other. And that bond, I feel like we have a real strong bond here.
“I can’t wait to spend the next eight years with these guys. Hopefully we can win and have that and bring that [Stanley Cup] home. Bring that back to Long Island.”