Islanders: What you need to know about offer sheets and Mathew Barzal

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 11: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders practices with the puck prior to the game against the Boston Bruins at the Barclays Center on January 11, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

What is an Offer Sheet?

Simply put, an offer sheet is a mechanism for teams to sign another team’s restricted free agent. Offer sheets allow teams to sign a contract with an RFA whose rights are owned by another team but has yet to sign a contract with that team.

That’s why the discussion of an offer sheet for Mathew Barzal is popping up.

Barzal’s three-year entry-level contract is up at the end of the season. While the Islanders retain Barzal’s rights if he and the Isles don’t agree to a contract by July 1, 2020, he will be free to sign a contract with another team.

(He can start talking to teams on June 30 this year.)

If Mathew Barzal was to sign an offer sheet with another team, the Islanders have two options. They can either match the offer sheet or decide to take the draft pick compensation for him based on the AAV of the offer sheet.

Assuming Barzal is worth around $9 million the Islanders would be looking at two first-round picks, a second, and a third if they accept the compensation rather than match the offer. If it exceeds $10.568 million, the Isles could get four first-round picks.

That’s a big haul, but Barzal is an incredible player and certainly worth more than draft picks for the Isles.

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