New York Islanders
Mathew Barzal and Islanders Aren’t Close to Deal Says Insider
David Pagnotta reports the two sides in negotiations between Mathew Barzal and the New York Islanders are not close, as of today.
As per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the New York Islanders and restricted free agent Mathew Barzal still have some work to do before a contract extension will be finalized. Things are ramping up, but the problem is, there’s not a lot of time left to get things figured out.
Related: Mathew Barzal and Pierre-Luc Dubois: Contract Negotiations Heating Up
Yes, a lot can be done in a day or two when it comes to deals. We saw that as the NHL and NHLPA overcame numerous hurdles to get a return to play plan in order. But, from the way Pagnotta is reporting the negotiations between Barzal and the Islanders, there’s a ways to go before the two sides find common ground. He’s hinting that both parties are finally starting to place some urgency on finalizing a contract.
It’s interesting because we wrote almost one month ago now that reports had surfaced a deal between Barzal and the Islanders was imminent. At the time, NBC Sports Adam Gretz had written that a doorway had opened up because of Johnny Boychuk’s retirement. At that point, it was likely more about juggling the salary cap than it was about what to pay the dynamic center. Now, it sounds like the two sides are farther apart than expected.
But, as Pagnotta writes, that maybe wasn’t the case. He explains:
With Islanders camp set to start in a week, contract negotiations with RFA Mat Barzal are expected to pick up, I’m told. A deal isn’t close (as of this afternoon), but there has been an open dialogue (daily talks) & Barzal was set to return to the Island as early as this weekend.
Is There a Reason to Panic?
As for if a deal will get done, the answer is almost exclusively yes. Something would really have to go sideways for the two sides not to work something out here.
That said, it’s tough to understand why a little bit of pressure wasn’t placed earlier on making sure this was finalized. With camps starting quickly, quarantine regulations to adhere to and other things that could interrupt Barzal’s ability to make it to camp on time, leaving it to the last minute has give fans a few nervous sweats.
It wouldn’t be such a big deal if Pagnotta was saying the two sides were super close with only a couple little wrinkles to iron out. But, that’s not exactly what his report seems to suggest.
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