The way Mathew Barzal looks at it, the coronavirus pandemic that has paused the NHL season has not ended it. So the Islanders’ 22-year-old star center isn’t worried about the biggest question of this offseason. That would be his pending restricted free agency and a possible long-term deal from team president Lou Lamoriello on the horizon.
“I don’t think there’s been too much communication, and not because there’s been anything negative or anything, it’s just Lou is getting ready for a playoff run right now,” Barzal said on a conference call Friday afternoon. “I’m not too, too worried about it because I don’t think the season is over yet. I think we’re still going to be playing, so there are bigger things we have to worry about right now in terms of heading into the playoffs this year.”
When the season was stopped on March 12, the Islanders were one point out of a playoff spot. They had two games in hand on the Blue Jackets, who held the second wild-card spot, with 14 games remaining. Lamoriello had traded for two-way center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and immediately signed him to a six-year, $30 million extension.
The club is trying to win now before they hope to move into their new arena at Belmont Park for the start of the 2021-22 season. The squeeze on the salary cap for next season might make it a little tighter for a long-term extension for Barzal, but that still seems like the goal for both sides.
“Whenever we’re ready to sit down and get it done, I’d love for that to happen,” Barzal said. “But at the same time, I’m not a person that is going to rush this thing or get nervous about it or whatever. Just going about my day, and it’ll happen when it happens.”
As for those days without hockey, Barzal has been trying to work out at home with his family in Vancouver, while playing his dad in table tennis and his mom in cribbage. He has also started playing the guitar with some impetus from teammate Jordan Eberle, although Barzal said he had not really learned a full song just yet.
There have been some ideas floating around about how the NHL could reopen business, including starting the playoffs right away with an expanded format in one or two closed locations. But the pandemic still has not peaked in the United States, and commissioner Gary Bettman has been reluctant to publicly discuss any of the plans with no real idea of when it might be possible to safely bring players and team personnel together.
Yet Barzal is still thinking that this season can be saved, and, if so, the league has a chance to capitalize on a unique opportunity.
“I think I’d be cool with playing a different style or a different format or something cool like that to offset the year,” Barzal said. “I don’t think we’re ever going to have a season — as long as I’m playing — like this again, where it’s just an absolute halt during the middle of the season. And it’s an uncertainty if we’re even going to finish the rest of the year.
“So if they were going to switch it up and do something unique like that, I would be interested. I think the NHL has a great opportunity here, if we do get a chance to play, to make it a unique scenario because of what’s going on, and make it enticing for viewers to watch, and make something new and fresh for one season.”
If that extends the season late into the summer — and shortens the time for his own contract negotiation — Barzal would be fine with it.
“Personally, I’m 22, we’re still only a month off the season. I think if they would resume the season pretty quickly, I would have no problem going back to playing,” Barzal said. “At the end of the day, it’s the NHL’s call and they’re the ones that need to make money and have us under contract. It’s their call at the end of the day, and whatever they decide, I’ll be ready to go — and so will our team.”
