Inside Why Islanders Mathew Barzal is Firing on All Cylinders

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal is firing on all cylinders this season. Here's an inside look as to why.

SUNRISE, FL -- Mathew Barzal's NHL career began with a bang, posting an 85-point season as the No. 2 centerman for the New York Islanders in 2017-18 behind John Tavares.

"The kid who won the Calder" scored 22 goals with 63 assists and set a rather high bar for himself, showcasing just how good he could be for the Islanders as his development continued. 

In the five years that followed, Barzal never eclipsed more than 62 points in a season, failing to reach the 20-goal mark or earn more than 44 assists. 

Now, point production, especially for a playmaker, isn't just about individual play. 

Until the Islanders acquired Bo Horvat ahead of last year's trade deadline, Barzal was never given a true running mate who could finish off chances that he creates, a flaw when judging players on their assist total. 

Without another weapon, in a system where offensive production wasn't the focal point under Barry Trotz, Barzal was never really given the chance to flourish after that rookie season under Doug Weight.

Could Barzal prosper somewhere else, in a system with more of an offensive mindset? 

For sure, but Barzal loves Long Island, loves his team, and wants to bring a Stanley Cup to Hempstead Turnpike. So, when the Islanders offered him an eight-year extension worth $73.2 M ($9.15 M AAV), which kicked in this season, he gladly accepted. 

After missing 24 games with an injury in 2022-23, ending his regular season just six games into his tenure alongside Horvat, the thought process by the organization and fan base was that this would be the year Barzal gets back to being the point-per-game player he was in Year 1.

So far, he's been better than that. 

In 22 games this season, Barzal has 23 points, with seven goals and 16 assists. 

He's playing some of the best hockey of his career, and after a four-point night against the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night, which included three assists and the overtime tally, the Vancouver native has seven points (two goals, five assists) over his last two games. 

Barzal is on pace for 26 goals (which would set a new career-high) and 59 assists for 85 points, which would match his Calder-winning season. 

With 72 shots in 22 games, which only trails Brock Nelson's 75 for the team lead, Barzal is on pace for over 268 shots this season, around 90 more than he's ever had in a season (179 in 2018-19). 

The main reason that we are seeing a spike is that Horvat is drawing attention away from Barzal, which allows for No. 13 to have more shooting lanes, and rather than hesitate, he's letting the shots go. 

In overtime, Horvat opened up to be a one-time option for Barzal, but he chose the smarter play, feeding the trailer Noah Dobson, which then made No. 13 a one-time opt

The conversations about Barzal have always been about offensive production, and that became even more prevalent when he was moved to the wing. 

That meant, in theory, being higher up in the defensive zone, allowing Horvat to be down low while not having to worry about face-offs, which has been a weak spot for Barzal (career 42.2 FO%).

While the offense has spiked this season, he hasn't failed defensively, which is something that we often see around the NHL, especially in today's game. 

When a player has a puck on his stick as often as Barzal does, especially as a playmaker, he's going to lose the puck or have passes picked off at a much higher rate than a pure sniper. 

He's on pace for 111.8 turnovers this season, but what's more important, in this "defensive" system, is the number of takeaways Barzal is on pace for. 

With 34 takeaways this season, 1.54 per game, Barzal is on pace for 126.7, another career mark that he will be shattering. The most Barzal has ever had in a season is 70, back in the shortened 68-game 2019-20 season. 

After an impressive performance against the Hurricanes on both sides of the puck, The Hockey News asked Islanders head coach Lane Lambert what he's seen from Barzal defensively.

"He's come along defensively. And this is the reason he's playing better offensively," Lambert said. "He's in the right positions defensively for the most part, and it's helping his offensive game. And he really did a lot of good things tonight."

Former Islanders defenseman and current MSG analyst Thomas Hickey shared his thoughts with THN about what he's seen from Barzal's defensive play. 

''I think he has a lot more energy at wing," Hickey said. "I think he knows he isn’t going to spend time and energy playing down low in his own zone, which zaps you.  

"I think he’s made an effort to be better defensively. And I think when the puck goes from offense to defense, he’s not taking big long wide loops to get back up ice. He’s turning quick and going south, which takes more effort, and it helps to have more energy."

Barzal reaching his full potential, in the first year of an eight-year deal is critical for the Islanders organization. Like every player, consistency becomes the hardest task, and the elite players in the NHL are able to do that.

There's plenty more hockey to be played this season, and the Islanders will need Barzal to keep his strong play going when they battle the Florida Panthers Saturday night at 6 PM ET. 

You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.