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NHL rumors: Islanders forward drawing trade interest from Stars, Canadiens
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- NHL rumors: Islanders forward drawing trade interest from Stars, Canadiens
NHL rumors: Islanders forward drawing trade interest from Stars, Canadiens appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The New York Islanders made their first significant move of the offseason on Friday, re-signing defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a two-year contract extension. With the NHL Draft now mere hours away, general manager Mathieu Darche is staying busy, and he continues to listen on star forward Mathew Barzal .
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Although there's no guarantee the veteran forward will be on the move this summer, as NHL.com's Stefen Rosner reported, Darche is listening to inquiries from interested teams, with two clubs at the top of the list .
"Given the market & teams missing out on top players, I'm told more teams have inquired about Isles' Mathew Barzal, who holds a 22-team NTC," Rosner wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Among those believed to have checked in: Dallas and Montreal. Darche's job is to listen, so none of this should come as a surprise."
The Stars reportedly had a deal in place that would send RFA Jason Robertson to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, although the star forward turned it down. If they do end up failing to re-sign him, Barzal could be a replacement of sorts.
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As for the Canadiens, it's no secret that they are looking to be aggressive on both the trade market and through free agency this summer, with a top-six forward on the wish list.
Montreal and New York already teamed up for a blockbuster last offseason, one that saw Noah Dobson go from Long Island to Quebec.
Barzal enjoyed another strong campaign in 2025-26, amassing 19 goals and 72 points over 81 regular season games. The Islanders failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season, but he remained one of the more important pieces on the roster.
The 29-year-old, originally selected No. 16 overall by the Isles in the 2015 NHL Draft, remains a gifted playmaker and strong offensive driver, and he has hovered around a point-per-game pace in each of the last four seasons.
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There should be no shortage of suitors if Barzal is made available, and the Stars and Canadiens both do look like teams that would benefit from the Coquitlam, British Columbia native's services.
It's unclear if either of Dallas or Montreal are on his 22-team no-trade list, but we could get an answer to that question sooner rather than later.
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