Center Mathew Barzal has signed an eight-year contract extension with the New York Islanders, the team announced Tuesday. Per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Barzal’s new deal will be worth $73.2 million and carry an average annual value of $9.15 million.
Barzal is entering the final year of a three-year, $21 million contract, which began in the 2020-21 season. He would’ve been a restricted free agent following the 2022-23 campaign.
“It’s two weeks before the season and hopefully we can hammer something out,” Barzal told NHL.com last month. “If not, I’m not really worried about it because my heart’s here and I know we’ll get something fair and something the two sides are happy about.”
The Islanders star center is coming off of a season in which he recorded 59 points (15 goals and 44 assists) in 73 games. It also marked the fifth consecutive season in which Barzal has led the Islanders in points.
In six seasons with the franchise, Barzal has tallied 91 goals and 220 assists while appearing in two All-Star Games.
The 25-year old was selected with the No. 16 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Islanders. Barzal won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie during the 2017-18 season when he recorded 85 points (22 goals and 63 assists).
He also joined Hall of Famer Denis Potvin as the only Islanders rookies to lead the team in points and assists. Barzal’s 85 points were also the third-most by an Islanders rookie in franchise history behind only Bryan Trottier (95 points in 1975-76) and Mike Bossy (91 points in 1977-78).
