Islanders sign Barzal to 3-year deal
Mathew Barzal couldn’t wait to practice again. Yes, practice.
He left home to get to New York despite not having a contract so he’ d be ready for the start of the season, then watched as Islanders teammates enjoyed the first few days of training camp without him.
“I love the game, and I was anxious,” he said. “I wanted to get out with the boys .”
Barzal finally got that opportunity Saturday after agreeing to a three-year, $21 million contract. It ended some anxious times for Islanders fans just days before the season opener against the rival Rangers, even though Barzal and team brass weren’t worried about the NHL’s most prominent unsigned restricted free agent.
The 23-year-old star forward said there was “never any frustration” about negotiations. GMLouLamoriello voiced confidence a deal would get done in time. It’s short enough that Barzal will still be a year away from unrestricted free agency when it expires but long enough to cover some of his prime years.
“This is nothing that my agent or Lou or really the league has had to deal with,” Barzal said. “It’s unfortunate times, but at the end of the day, I think both sides came to a deal that we were happy on and it’ s what fits right now. Now we just turn the page and next three years try tow in a Stanley Cup.”
Barzal led the Islanders with 60 points on 19 goals and 41 assists in 68 games last season. The 2015 firstround pick had 17 points in 22 playoff games during their run to the Eastern Conference final and has become the Islanders’ best offensive player.
The Devils announced Sunday that they re-signed restricted free agent F Jesper Bratt to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. Bratt,22,ledt he Devils in evenstrength goals with 15 and set career highs with 16 goals and101shotslast season.
Soccer: Matthew Hoppe became the first American to record a hat trick in the Bun des li ga, leading Sch alke to a 4-0 victory over Hoff en heim on Saturday. The 19- yearold forward accomplished the feat in only his fifth match in Germany’s top-tier league. It was Schalke’s first Bundesliga victory in nearly a year. Another draw or defeat would have matched the league record of 31 consecutive win less games set more than 50 years ago.
Tennis: Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin came back from match point down to beat Yulia Putintseva and reach the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open. The top-seeded Kenin posted 57 unforced errors to Putintseva’s 43 but still prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 over the 13 th-seeded Putin ts eva. Ken in dropped the opening set for the second consecutive match in A bu D ha bi. Putintseva had match point when serving at 6-5 up in the second set, but Kenin saved the point and broke Putintseva’s serve to take the set to a tiebreak.