5 Trade Landing Spots for Mathew Barzal Amid NHL Rumors

On June 1, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported that a league executive had claimed the New York Islanders were "exploring the trade market for forward Mathew Barzal."

According to Garrioch, the Islanders want to clear some salary-cap space. Barzal, 29, has five years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $9.2 million. Garrioch also stated the Utah Mammoth "kicked tires" on the versatile forward last summer, but opted not to make that move.

The following day, Islanders correspondent Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported that nothing in Garrioch's report stated that the Isles were actually shopping Barzal. "Teams call. GMs listen," Rosner wrote. "Part of the job description. Wording matters."

In other words, clubs might be calling Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche to inquire about Barzal, but it doesn't mean he's available. Darche may be willing to listen, but it could take a significant offer to pry Barzal away from the Islanders.

Barzal is among the few reliable scorers on the offensively anemic Islanders. Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2017-18, he's exceeded 60 points five times, including two 80-plus point seasons and a 72-point performance in 2025-26.

Darche could be trying to free up cap space, but he hasn't signalled that he's rebuilding his roster, which is what trading Barzal would suggest. The playmaking forward's ability to play center or right wing also makes him an invaluable part of the Isles' top two forward lines.

If Darche is thinking of moving Barzal, he'll likely want a scoring forward of equal talent or a pair of promising NHL forwards. However, Barzal has a 22-team no-trade list, which significantly narrows the number of potential trade partners.

Nonetheless, we can't dismiss the possibility that a club not on Barzal's no-trade list pitches an offer that Darche can't refuse. Here's a look at five potentially suitable landing spots.

Minnesota Wild

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The Minnesota Wild made a bold move last December by acquiring superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.

General manager Bill Guerin also reportedly attempted to acquire center Robert Thomas from the St. Louis Blues before the March trade deadline.

Guerin was attempting to address the Wild's ongoing need for a first-line center. They've been using Ryan Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek as their top two centers. While Eriksson Ek is solid in a second-line role, they need an upgrade over Hartman for the first-line position.

Barzal could be a solid fit between superstar Kirill Kaprizov and 42-goal scorer Matt Boldy on Minnesota's first line. To free up sufficient cap space for his contract, the Wild would have to include a player in the deal, or make a separate cost-cutting trade with another team.

Guerin was reportedly willing to part with young goalie Jesper Wallstedt and promising center Danila Yurov for Thomas. Wallstedt would be a reliable young backup for Ilya Sorokin or a potential trade chip for the Isles to add another player. Yurov has the potential to become a top-six forward.

Montréal Canadiens

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After narrowly making the playoffs before suffering a quick exit from the opening round last season, the rebuilding Montréal Canadiens exceeded expectations in 2025-26. They finished fourth overall in the Eastern Conference with 106 points and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.

Having emerged from their rebuilding process earlier than anticipated, the Canadiens are looking to improve their roster and take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention. Despite their improvement this season, their lack of an experienced second-line center was a glaring fault during the playoffs.

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.

Ottawa Senators

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As noted in the introduction, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun cited a league source claiming the Islanders were listening to offers for Mathew Barzal. He proposed the versatile forward as a possible trade target for the Senators.

Garrioch felt that Barzal's $9.2 million annual cap hit would be difficult for the Senators to absorb. That's because they must discuss a contract extension with winger Drake Batherson this summer, who could seek a long-term deal worth between $9 million and $10 million.

The Senators have $46.6 million in projected salary-cap space for 2027-28, but much of that will be taken up with new contracts before then. If they want to acquire Barzal, they must move someone off their current roster.

Batherson could be one option if he proves too expensive to re-sign. Another could be team captain Brady Tkachuk, assuming the ongoing speculation about his future in Ottawa proves to be true. He'd also have to waive his no-movement clause. Shane Pinto or Dylan Cozens could also become trade bait.

Utah Mammoth

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In the introduction, we noted the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch claimed the Utah Mammoth looked into acquiring Mathew Barzal last summer, but ultimately decided against it.

Perhaps Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong might reconsider that decision.

After five seasons of rebuilding (including their final seasons as the Arizona Coyotes), the Mammoth qualified for the playoffs this year. While they put up a good effort against the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round, they were eliminated in six games.

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.

Vancouver Canucks

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After a promising 109-point performance two years ago, the Vancouver Canucks crashed and burned this season, finishing dead last with 58 points. A major rebuilding process is already underway, with changes in the front office, behind the bench, and to the roster.

One of those changes could involve trading center Elias Pettersson, who carries an $11.6 million annual cap hit through 2031-32. Perhaps a deal could be made sending Pettersson to the Islanders for Barzal, who would instantly become his hometown team's franchise player.

The Canucks might have to retain part of Pettersson's cap hit to facilitate this deal. Both clubs could consider making a multi-player swap with Pettersson and Barzal as the centerpiece.

Despite Barzal's ties to Vancouver, he could balk at going to the rebuilding Canucks, while Pettersson could be unwilling to waive his no-movement clause to join the Islanders. Nevertheless, stranger deals have happened in NHL history, so we're keeping an open mind here.

Stats via NHL.com. Salary cap info via PuckPedia.