more like helping NYI

By forcing them not to have any UFA years?

Lou said he is matching any offer no matter what happends

That's the point. It gives them no UFA years and forces them to overpay Barzal.

I don't understand what this does for Vancouver?

Barzal's hometown team is Vancouver and Ottawa is forcing NYI to walk Barzal to free agency.

And its like Vancouver will need him or even have money for him after Pettersson and Hughes

I mean the Leafs have 4 big contracts and Reilly will need a new contract in 2 years. Vancouver has many bad contracts like Eriksson, Myers, Baertschi and Roussel. That's already almost 20 million. They also have about 5 million in dead cap over the next 3 or so years.

This seems like a move melnyk would make right now - great job!

No matter how much Barzal signs for, the Islanders will have to trade some players like Lee, Boychuk, Komarov and buy out Ladd, only because he's no the only one that's going to want a big payday too

Ladd buyout and Leddy trade frees up 11 mill. Lee is one of our best players, he’s not getting traded

Keep in mind that I was just naming guys that have big contracts and that would make it hard to sign Barzal considering that they have too many guys with big contracts