Rumor: Big offer sheet on the way for Matthew Barzal

The sun is shining and the weather is clear. Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman was the guest on the latest Spittin Chiclets podcast and the conversation went to some upcoming contracts. One of the best insiders in hockey mentioned 'the offer sheets will come' to Long Island. Their lone star Matthew Barzal is set to become a restricted free agent and is going to have a decision to make come the summertime.

When Elliotte speaks we all listen so let's dig a little into this one. Barzal who replaced John Tavares as the face of the Islanders, has performed since day one. 206 points in 233 games. This situation is essentially out of his hands as the Islanders currently only have $12.6 million in cap space for next season. Cue the vultures.

Any team with the necessary draft picks with make a phone call to Barzal's reps. They're not doing their job if they don't. What comes out of those conversations are anyone's guess at this point.

As far as 2020 projected cap space goes, some bad teams have serious room. Ottawa sits atop with $42 million available on the cap with 10 players to sign. They could fit Barzal easily, but that's not happening. Detroit also has 10 players to sign with $40 million to use. A conversation with Steve Yzerman can go a long way.

Some other teams to consider that stand a chance at signing Barzal are the LA Kings and the Boston Bruins. The Kings need the next level to their established core of Kopitar, Doughty and Quick. Barzal fits the bill. Meanwhile, things in Beantown have aligned nicely. The David Backes trade did wonders as the Bruins currently have roughly $24 million in cap space to use for next season. Adding Barzal to Boston's top-six could send the team to 'final four' visits for the next 5 years....is that good?

The playoffs are around the corner and the coaches and players are gearing up to battle it out every other night. The general managers soak in the postseason while maintaining an umbrella of long-termed thoughts. Always worried about the next move and the best interest of the team.

Come the early summer months, Matthew Barzal will solely be focused on his best interest. Restricted, or not.