Mathew Barzal trade buzz is growing, with Montreal and Dallas both believed to have checked in with the New York Islanders.
The fit makes sense on both ends. Dallas needs a Robertson replacement if that situation stays stuck. Montreal wants to add a proven playmaker to an already dangerous core.
But the real question is whether Islanders GM Mathieu Darche is actually willing to move him.
Barzal posted 19 goals and 72 points in 81 games this season, carrying a $9,150,000 cap hit. He's 29 years old and one of the most dangerous skaters in the league when healthy.
New York finished 43-34-5 and went 3-7-0 in their final ten. They didn't make the playoffs. The organization is at a crossroads.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious. Barzal alongside Ivan Demidov, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield would create a top six that most teams in the league can't match line for line.
Demidov himself put up 19 goals and 62 points in 82 games this season at just 20 years old.
Dallas sees Barzal as the Robertson replacement it can't find elsewhere
For Dallas, this is about plugging the hole that's been growing louder by the day. Robertson's trade situation has stalled completely, and GM Jim Nill needs to know what his top six looks like.
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Barzal's skating and zone entry ability would fit naturally into Dallas's system. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan ran one of the tightest defensive structures in the league this season, allowing only 226 goals, third-best overall.
The problem for both suitors is the same: Darche has no obvious reason to sell low. Barzal is a franchise-caliber player in the last years of his prime.
Unless the Islanders decide a full rebuild is the direction, moving Barzal means admitting the window is closed. That's a hard conversation for any front office to have publicly.
Montreal went 48-24-10 and reached the conference finals. They aren't desperate. They can wait. Dallas can't.
Should the Canadiens trade for Mathew Barzal even if it costs them Ivan Demidov?
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