Isles GM Lou Lamoriello refuses to answer question about Mat Barzal

Since bursting into the NHL in the 2017-2018 season where we saw Barzal pot 22 goals and 63 assists for 85 points in 82 games, the 2015 first round pick has been the clear number one center for the Islanders. Locking him up long-term should be GM Lou Lamoriello's main focus.

According to Islanders reporter Andrew Gross on Monday, Lamoriello has declined to answer whether or not contract talks have started with Barzal. This shouldn't be surprising as Lou has been known for keeping everything on the down low.

We know that refusing to answer is not the same thing as admitting that talks have not yet begun, but with some of the deals that Lamoriello has completed in recent seasons and the fact that he failed to sign a single free agent this year, it's becoming apparent that Lou is beginning to slip. I think it's a fair question. Had talks begun, Lou could have very simply said "yes". The fact that he declined to answer has many assuming that they haven't, which would be a huge mistake.

Barzal, 25, is coming off a season that saw him post just 15 goals and 44 assists for a total of 59 points in 73 games. Though his numbers took a bit of a dip playing under the defensive-minded Barry Trotz, make no mistake about it; Barzal is still a premium player who has game-breaking ability.

A long-term contract for Barzal is definitely something the Islanders will want to see done, especially with the team having a fairly weak prospect pool and not a lot of young blood on the current roster. Money-wise, we could see Barzal get anywhere from $8M-$10M per season.