Mathew Barzal being back at center full time allows for the Islanders to be better prepared for life after Brock Nelson, if the 33-year-old is to be on the move.

Last week, New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy listed the reasons why Mathew Barzal back at center after a year-plus on the wing benefits the lineup. 

But could there be another reason No. 13 is skating down the middle again?

Yes, yes, there is. He could be Brock Nelson's replacement. 

The 33-year-old centerman, who has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 35 games, is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of a six-year deal worth $6 million annually.

While Nelson could return on a shorter-term deal at, let's say, the same cap hit, his value on the trade market is too high for a team stuck in mediocrity to hold onto.

He's a fantastic player whose goal production will be sorely missed, but the Islanders aren't consistently winning with him. They could use the draft capital he would bring back to bolster the prospect pool or flip for younger, faster NHL-ready talents at the deadline or at the 2025 NHL Draft. 

No, Barzal is not the goal scorer that Nelson is, but if Nelson is going to be out of the picture at some point, the Islanders getting Barzal reacclimated to being a full-time center makes too much sense. 

Here's how the Islanders forward lineup looks right now:

Lee-Barzal-Pageau

Duclair-Nelson-Palmieri

Tsyplakov-Horvat-Holmstrom

MacLean-Cizikas-Fasching

If Nelson ends up being moved, there's a shift but a more comfortable one that doesn't have Pageau as the No. 2 centerman:

Duclair-Barzal-Palmieri

Tsyplakov-Horvat-Holmstrom

Lee-Pageau-X

MacLean-Cizikas-Fasching

Who would that player on Pageau's right be? 

In theory, it could be a player who the Islanders get back in a trade or Pierre Engvall until at least the end of the season. 

One of the hardest things anyone can do is get inside the head of general manager Lou Lamoriello. We don't know where his mind is on this current team, which finds themselves in last place in the Metropolitan Division and five points out of a wild-card spot. 

Lamoriello, especially since coming to Long Island following the 2017-18 season, has yet to sell players at a trade deadline, but if that streak is going to change, Nelson's name is at the top of the list.

No, Barzal is not the goal scorer that Nelson is, but No. 13, who is in the second season of an eight-year deal, will be on the island for a long time and would rather be down the middle.