Mat Barzal, No.13: How Should The Islanders Maximize His Capabilities?
Mat Barzal is one of the best skaters in the NHL. However, his tendency to skate around the offensive zone with the puck is a little frustrating. He has a dynamic skill set, and the Islanders probably need to complement him with a sniper. The team has at least $40.6 million in cap space next year to lure a sniper, and might be developing one internally.
The team also needs to decide whether he should play on the wing or at center. He is quite bad at face-offs, and his creative skills work best on the wing. One thing is for certain: the Islanders’ power play has been one of the worst in the league for the entire Barzal career. His tendency to skate around with the puck is one reason why. That is probably where the team should play him. Where do you think Mat Barzal will play this year?
Mat Barzal Career Statistics
If one looks at the career statistics of Mat Barzal, a couple of patterns emerge. First, in ten seasons, he is almost, but not quite, a point-per-game player. For his career, he has 534 points in 611 games. He was a point-per-game player in 2023-4, scoring 80 points in 80 games.
He was also a point-per-game player in 2017-8, his first full season in the league. In most of the other seasons, including last season, he fell just short. He is a great scorer, and the team definitely hopes he can keep up that production.
The second obvious fact from looking at Mat Barzal’s career scoring record is that he is a creator, not a goal-scorer. He has routinely had three or four times the amount of assists as goals throughout his career. In his career, he has 381 assists and 153 goals. The Islanders should give up on him scoring goals and embrace him for what he is: a great skater and creator.
To maximize his talents, the team needs to pair Mat Barzal with a sniper that they either acquire or develop. There is reason to believe the Islanders will be successful in this quest. First, the team already has $40.6 million in salary cap space for the 2027-8 season. They will have more available if they trade some of their expensive veterans.
The team has never signed a big-ticket free agent, but will certainly have the money to lure a sniper to pair with Barzal. Second, the Islanders have several intriguing prospects. One is a sniper who could pair with Mat Barzal: Cole Eiserman. Eiserman has some defensive questions, but he can shoot. It would be great to pair him with Barzal and leverage their strengths.
Center or Winger?
One of the biggest questions surrounding Mat Barzal is where he should play. He has played both wing and center in his career, and the Islanders seem unsure of where to put him. Put him on the wing. There, he could maximize his playmaking ability. He also stinks at taking face-offs. A stable, defined role will benefit him, and the team needs wingers.
Conclusion
Mat Barzal is clearly one of the best players on the New York Islanders. He is one of the best skaters and playmakers in the NHL. The team needs to take advantage of his unique skill set and put him in a position to succeed. If they do that, it will be like taking the lid off a fire.
