It's crazy to think that Mathew Barzal has already been in the NHL for seven seasons. How many milestones can he reach with the New York Islanders this upcoming season?

It's crazy to think that Mathew Barzal has already been in the NHL since  2016. Despite never getting close to the point production of his rookie campaign (22 goals, 63 assists), which ended with the Calder Trophy, the New York Islanders are relying heavily on Barzal taking his game to another level in 2023-24.

Although Barzal's regular season ended on January 18 after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Boston Bruins, we got a sneak peek into what reality could be like for the Islanders when Barzal and Bo Horvat are on the ice.

Despite a small sample size of six games before the injury, with Barzal not looking 100 percent in the six postseason games against the Carolina Hurricanes, the two seemed to gel rather well at five-on-five and the power play, providing hope for the future.

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Barzal, who became the clear face of the franchise when he inked an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million last September, now has to prove that he was worth it as he enters the first season of the deal. 

"Mat has the ability to raise his game and to be a special player. And now, with this contract and our faith in him, that puts that responsibility on him," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said last fall. "We're trusting that. Now it's up to him, also, to respond to that."

Let's look at what milestones are in reach for the 26-year-old this upcoming season. 

With 420 games under his belt, Barzal should reach the 500-game milestone, as he sits just 80 away.

Although he has missed 33 games over the last two years, there's no reason to think Barzal is injury-prone. We shall see how him playing wing affects that, as both lower-body injuries came after hits along the boards. 

While Barzal reached 100 career goals last season after potting 14 in 58 games, reaching 300 career assists and 400 career points is doable. 

Barzal was on pace for a 52-assist season in 2022-23 before his injury and sits 43 away from 300. Barzal, without a weapon like Horvat, notched 44 assists during the 2021-22 season. 

As for points, Barzal is 38 away from 400.

Diving a tad deeper, Barzal is 10 points away from 200 on home ice and 28 away from 200 on the road. 

Shots on goal are rather essential, and Barzal is 46 shots away from 1,000 for his career, averaging 159 per season over the last six years (zero shots in two games back in 2016-17). 

The focus here has been on Barzal's offensive production, but there's some milestones within reach on the defensive side of the puck.

Barzal sits six blocks away from 200 after 34 this past season. 

Hitting isn't his strong point, but Barzal is just 48 away from 200 for his career. He was on pace for 35 last season, so he may come up short. 

Back to the offense.

If Barzal can score at least one goal against the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche this season, he will have scored against every team in the league outside the one he suits up for. 

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