Islanders' star player hits the market shortly after Dylan Larkin despite being told he wouldn't move
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The New York Islanders told Mathew Barzal he was untouchable twelve months ago.
Now David Pagnotta and Mike Johnson are tying his name to real trade conversations on NHL Network, and the timeline matters more than anyone is letting on.
Pagnotta made the distinction clear. A futures deal does not make sense for the Islanders. If Barzal moves, it has to be a hockey trade with top-six talent coming back.
"This goes back to last offseason," said Pagnotta.
"He has a 10 team trade list," replied Johnson. "If you're a team that wants him, you've gotta get out there."
"This is not the same category as Dylan Larkin for me though," said Pagnotta. "The potential of a futures trade for Barzal just doesn't make sense for the New York Islanders. They want to add another top-six winger. But if you're moving Barzal, this is a hockey trade. You're going talent for talent."
"He has a 10 team trade list," replied Johnson. "If you're a team that wants him, you've gotta get out there."
"This is not the same category as Dylan Larkin for me though," said Pagnotta. "The potential of a futures trade for Barzal just doesn't make sense for the New York Islanders. They want to add another top-six winger. But if you're moving Barzal, this is a hockey trade. You're going talent for talent."
That framing only works because of what happened between last June and now. Barzal played 30 injury-wrecked games in 2024-25, putting up just 20 points.
No general manager was offering a legitimate top-six winger for that version of the player.
Darche had no leverage, so he told Barzal he was staying and meant it.
Then Barzal went out and posted 19 goals and 72 points in 81 games this season, leading the Islanders in scoring by a wide margin.
He averaged over 20 minutes a night and looked like the dynamic playmaker who earned his eight-year deal in the first place.
The bounce-back built the trade market
That healthy season is the entire reason the conversation shifted. Barzal at 72 points commands the kind of return Pagnotta described.
Barzal at 20 points in 30 games commands sympathy and a discounted ask. The Islanders did not suddenly sour on their best forward.
They simply reached the point where moving him could actually net a roster-improving return instead of a consolation package.
His 22-team no-trade list narrows the field to roughly nine approved destinations, which means any interested team has to move fast and offer real players.
Why the timing reveals the strategy
Darche is not rebuilding. The Islanders finished with 91 points and hired Peter DeBoer to push further.
But the roster needs a different shape on the wing, and Barzal's contract at $9.15 million through 2031 only holds trade value while the production backs it up.
This is a sell-high window dressed as a shakeup, and it only opened because Barzal proved he was worth selling high on.
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