The 2018 Calder Memorial Trophy winner Mat Barzal has had an interesting career as a New York Islander, taking over as the face of the franchise after John Tavares’ departure, as well as going on two deep playoff runs that saw the team get a goal away from potentially reaching the Stanley Cup Final. He has also gone through three head coaches, three different systems, and has seen countless different linemates. This season he has taken massive strides as a player, cementing himself as one of the league’s premiere talents. With his talent finally resulting in offensive production, what is the cause for this offensive outburst?
Playing With Talent
There is one incredibly obvious answer to this question, and it is that he has spent the majority of this season playing alongside Bo Horvat. Horvat was acquired at the 2023 Trade Deadline in a package that sent Barzal’s friend Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a 2023 first-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks. Horvat and Barzal played just five games together before Barzal sustained a season-ending injury. However, this season has been a different story, with the two spending over 800 minutes on the ice together.
Horvat, who had 38 goals last season and 31 the season prior, is an elite scoring threat who plays a responsible defensive game. He forechecks well, wins face-offs, and minimizes costly turnovers, freeing the ice and responsibility for Barzal. Despite being listed as a center, Horvat defers control of the play to Barzal following each shift’s face-off, letting him control the center while Horvat searches for the open ice to find a scoring look. Having Barzal skate freely in the offensive zone allows him to maximize his best two traits, skating and passing while having an elite shooting talent to look to.
The idea of putting talent with talent was a very obvious one, but it took many years for the team to do it. Now, the two have become one of the best duos in the NHL, having out-of-this-world chemistry in creating offensive looks for themselves and their linemates. While they are still looking to solidify the third forward for their line, spending time with Casey Cizikas, Brock Nelson, and Anders Lee in recent games, they have proven to find success regardless of who they play with.
Shooting the Puck More
There is nothing better than going to hockey games and hearing fans scream shoot it, acting as if they know any better than the professionals on the ice who are getting paid millions to play the sport. For Barzal, however, it has been that simple. In recent seasons, he has looked to make the perfect pass or deke that would provide a slightly better chance at scoring, but this season is different. He still makes mistakes, but he appears more confident with the puck, and his scoring totals prove it.
Before this season, Barzal had career-highs of 22 goals his rookie season and 179 shots the season after. This season, he is up to 23 goals and 227 shots. While goal scoring is not his strongest trait, it is still elite, as he has an elite wrist shot that is especially lethal in close proximity to the net. He has utilized his edgework and silky hands to position himself in the slot and around the crease to put pucks in the upper corners of the net, either leading to goals or weak rebounds that provide other high-danger chances for his linemates. As well, he now not only looks for a pass when skating in the neutral zone but also for a great opportunity to shoot, forcing defenders to treat him like any other scorer. In turn, this has alleviated the attention Horvat and others receive, allowing everyone to benefit.
While playing with talent has elevated Barzal’s game, it is easy to tell he put in the work to become a better player. Sometimes it is as simple as watching the games, and noticing how he has turned into a grizzled veteran who does the small things well. It feels as if he was a rookie just a few months ago, but it has now been six seasons, and it is evident he has grown into a far better player in that time. With the Islanders still fighting for a playoff spot, expect Barzal to continue to lead the team in the hunt and their hopeful playoff matchups.
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