In the last 48 hours, the NHL world's been lit aflame by the latest rumors circulating, this time involving the New York Islanders and star forward Mathew Barzal.
Barzal, 29, posted 19 goals and 72 points through 81 games this past season, the runaway points leader for the Islanders, with only rookie Matthew Schaefer (59 points) and Bo Horvat (57 points) within 25 points of Barzal.
The dynamic forward has five years left on his contract, worth $9.15 million per year on the cap. Barzal also holds a 22-team no-trade clause, limiting most options around the league.
While Stefen Rosner and I reported it's unlikely the Islanders do end up moving on from Barzal, the Boston Bruins have to at least inquire after Barzal if the Islanders are listening.
Barzal fits every need the current-day Bruins have, on just about every level. This past season, David Pastrnak had to become a playmaker to get the most out of his line mates.
Pastrnak passed up shots, instead opting to fire passes to Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm, or Marat Khusnutdinov, his most-common line mates.
After the season, Pastrnak said his lack of goals (29) came from the situation, where the team needed him to be more of a playmaker.
Now, imagine a Bruins team with someone as electric as Barzal aligned with Pastrnak. Barzal's posted 50+ assists three times in his career, and has produced at a 50+ assist pace four of the last five seasons.
That comes on an Islanders team where offense has not always been the focus, one where they've never had a player on the level of Pastrnak for Barzal to feed.
Barzal's incredibly responsible defensively, with sparkling analytics. His formative years there are thanks to four years under Barry Trotz, one of the best coaches of the modern era.
Back in the 2021 playoffs, Barzal torched the Bruins for three goals and six points in six games, kicking out Boston in the second round.
With a reasonable and manageable cap hit under the exploding cap, Barzal's a perfect fit for Boston.
The cost of acquisition could be steep, and similar to what the St. Louis Blues reportedly asked for Robert Thomas, the equivalent of 3+ first-round assets and more.
The Islanders would figure to look for around that same mark.
James Hagens would be a logical player to go the other way. It wasn't a secret this time last year that the Islanders had interest in Hagens, the Long Island native.
Hagens' skill set is similar to Barzal's, and despite being younger, the Bruins are trying to win while still in Pastrnak's prime, along with Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman's as well.
In addition to Hagens, the Islanders could look at the 23rd overall pick, along with Florida's unprotected 2028 first-round pick.
They could also look at someone like Casey Mittelstadt as a one-year stopgap for their NHL roster, if Hagens isn't ready for 82 games.
The Islanders might also ask about the likes of Matthew Poitras or Mason Lohrei, though their values are lower than what's above.
The Islanders would undoubtedly want a package centered around Hagens, the 23rd overall pick, and at least one of Boston's three projected 2028 first-round picks.
It's a hefty price, but for a player of Barzal's skill, two-way value, and overall talent, it's worth investigating.