Vancouver Canucks have discussed Barzal trade with Islanders: report
The Vancouver Canucks could be looking at a blockbuster trade that would send shockwaves throughout the NHL.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Canucks have reached out to the New York Islanders in regards to Mat Barzal. Pagnotta mentioned that nothing is close at this time, but the Canucks are one of a few teams who have incquired about the 28-year-old.
Islanders remain active. In addition to all their action, I’m told some teams have called the Islanders about Mat Barzal, including Utah and Vancouver. Don’t get the sense anything is close right now, but some clubs have inquired.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 27, 2025
Pagnotta isn’t the only person to discuss the Canucks potentially going after Barzal, either. Jeff Marek also discussed the idea with Greg Wyshynski on The Sheet with Jeff Marek podcast.
“I think that you could sell so high on him,” Wyshynski said. “[You could] get at least two roster players and futures for him. I’m not saying they should, I’m not saying it makes sense, I’m just saying that if you really wanted to flip the script on this team and this franchise, I would look to do it right now.”
“I think that you could sell so high on Barzal”@wyshynski and @JeffMarek ventured into hypothetical territory, wondering what it might look like if Mathew Barzal ended up back home in Vancouver 👀#Isles #Canucks pic.twitter.com/wMB7m3Dml1
— The Sheet with Jeff Marek (@thesheethockey) June 26, 2025
Marek than chimed in, suggesting that Barzal is a player that the Canucks could target, while suggesting that Elias Pettersson would be going back the other way.
Barzal was limited to just 30 games this past season due to injury, during which time he racked up six goals and 20 points. The 28-year-old has hit the 80-point mark twice in his career, though there is serious belief that on a more offensive-minded team, his numbers would really pop off.
Despite there being talks for some time that Barzal may not have been happy with the Islanders, he disproved that notion by agreeing to an eight-year, $73.2-million extension ahead of the 2022-23 season. He has six seasons remaining with a $9.15-million cap hit, and also has a 22-team no-trade list in his contract.
While this all appears to be far-fetched, at least for now, it’s something for Canucks fans to monitor throughout the offseason to see if it eventually begins to generate some real steam.