Montréal Canadiens and Utah Mammoth emerge as landing spots for $73.2M New York Islanders’ forward.(Image via X) The New York Islanders’ star forward Mathew Barzal remains a popular name concerning trade rumors as speculations swirl about General Manager Mathieu Darche reportedly listening to trade offers about him from other teams. Amid this, the Montréal Canadiens and Utah Mammoth have emerged as potential landing spots.CategoryDetailsPlayerMathew BarzalCurrent TeamNew York IslandersRumored TeamsMontreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa SenatorsContract Status5 Years Remaining (UFA in 2031)Salary Cap Hit (New Team)$9.15 Million average annual value (AAV)Trade LikelihoodModerateLatest Insider UpdateMontreal Canadiens and Utah Mammoth have emerged as aggressive landing spotsPotential ReturnPremium top-tier prospects (e.g., Danila Yurov), high draft capital, or established roster players to offset salary cap hits
Which teams are interested in Mathew Barzal?
In the last few days, a number of teams have been linked to Mathew Barzal but as per NHL insiders, it seems the Montréal Canadiens and the Utah Mammoth could be making a move for him.
What are insiders saying about the trade rumors?
A few days ago, Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report noted, “Mathew Barzal could be an option for the Canadiens if he’s willing to join their promising roster. He could slot in between skillful right winger Ivan Demidov and the hardworking Alex Newhook on left wing. His ability to play right wing would also give them the option to shake things up if required. The Canadiens have $10.7 million in cap space, but could free up almost $10 million more by trading winger Brendan Gallagher and goalie Samuel Montembeault. The Islanders could prefer that the Canadiens offer up promising center Michael Hage and a young forward such as Oliver Kapanen or Zack Bolduc in the deal.”Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson added, “Limited postseason experience among the Mammoth’s top forwards contributed to their first-round exit. Bringing in a versatile playmaker such as Mathew Barzal, with 60 playoff games on his resume, could prove helpful to the Mammoth in their quest to become a future Stanley Cup contender. Utah could offer up JJ Peterka, but his inconsistency hurts his trade value. Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton could be available, but when healthy, they only produce half as much as Barzal. The Mammoth could offer draft picks and prospects, which the Isles could use as trade bait for a scoring forward.”
Contract details and salary cap implications
For the New York Islanders, trading Mathew Barzal clears up $9.15 million from the team’s books and frees up a whopping $45 million in total cash obligations for the next five years.The team faces no dead cap penalties for trading him.
How will the trade affect the teams?
For the Montréal Canadiens, trading for Mathew Barzal is affordable with their $12 million cap space. Signing him would instantly fix the team’s center depth.For the Utah Mammoth, trading for Mathew Barzal remains expensive as the team has $4.1 million in available cap space.