Why Contract for Mathew Barzal Has Become Excellent for NY Islanders

The New York Islanders have an excellent contract on the books when it comes to Mathew Barzal.

Mar 28, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) skates against the Florida Panthers during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders are moving through the offseason, and the team will be getting set for what they hope will be a successful campaign in 2026-27. 

Last year, the Islanders were able to exceed expectations, especially early on. The emergence of Matthew Schaefer really changed the trajectory for New York, with the first overall pick hitting the ground running in his rookie campaign. 

Getting an amazing season from Schaefer gave the team a massive boost and has really helped turn things around quickly. Even though the team did not play well down the stretch, they are a franchise that has a strong prospect pool, and there is reason to expect them to get better. 

Furthermore, with a couple of key players like Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov expected to be back, New York should receive an added boost from that as well. 

However, when talking about the Islanders, one of the top players for the last several years has been forward Mathew Barzal. The young winger is one of the most exciting skaters in the league, and hopes are high for him heading into next year. 

Furthermore, with him locked up for quite some time, his contract has also become one of the most desirable on the team. 

Barzal Contract Has Become Fantastic 

Mar 26, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) controls the puck in the first period against the Dallas Stars at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the salary cap in the NHL going up, the extension that Barzal has recently signed has turned into one that has a ton of value now. The talented skater for the Islanders has five years left on his deal at $9.2 million per season, which, after this offseason, is a bargain. 

Last year, Barzal totaled 72 points with 19 goals and 53 assists. Coming off an injury-plagued campaign during the 2024-25 season, he performed very well last year. 

Now, while his position and role could be changing a bit coming into this year, he is still one of the better playmakers in the league. Head coach Peter DeBoer does like him up the middle compared to being on the wing, but the Islanders do have a plethora of players capable of playing up the middle. 

Splitting up him and Horvat would result in other forwards needing to really step up on the wing for the first line, which might be asking a bit too much. However, with the going rate for good players now being $10+ million on the open market, and the salary cap being expected to go up again, the contract for the star forward of the Islanders will only get better.