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Islanders Risk Wasting Mathew Barzal on the Wing

New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (John Jones-Imagn Images)

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Islanders Risk Wasting Mathew Barzal on the Wing

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Conor Power | Last updated Aug 30, 2026 2:55 PM ET

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The New York Islanders rely heavily on Mathew Barzal. He has been the premier centre for almost ten years. He is the key piece of the Islanders’ core as their only star forward. This is what makes the 2026-27 campaign particularly interesting: Barzal will feature predominantly on the wing. As a natural centerman, the change isn’t unfamiliar to him, but the Islanders’ roster isn’t currently assembled in a way to facilitate a move to the wing.

2025-26 Barzal

Last season, Barzal enjoyed significant success, despite the Islanders’ shortcomings. In 81 games, Barzal had 19 goals and 53 assists for 72 points. That led the team by a landslide. Barzal and Bo Horvat were the only forwards on the team to have more than 50 points. Barzal’s playmaking is what drives the Islanders’ offence. Without him, the Islanders’ struggling offence would be in full-blown crisis.

It’s not just the end product that separates Barzal from the rest of the Islanders. According to Natural Stat Trick, Barzal generated 64.60 expected goals (xG) for the team at 5-on-5. Only one other forward had more than 50 expected goals for. Barzal is generating quality chances, and he’s doing it more frequently than anyone else on the Islanders roster. It’s still a testament to how strong a playmaker he is.

If we change this to expected goals for per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (xGF/60), Barzal’s 3.14 is the highest of anyone still on the roster among forwards. The dependence on Barzal is only going to become more severe with long-time veterans moving to greener pastures, which puts more pressure on the star of the Islanders. He is the one who creates high-quality chances, which is a heavy weight considering the Islanders’ scoring woes.

Barzal’s Limitations on the Wing

Currently, Barzal is expected to play on the wing. Whether that is the wing of Horvat or Brayden Schenn is still up in the air. Barzal possesses a unique skill set, which will likely allow him to thrive on the wing, but it’s like using a Bugatti to complete a hundred-meter dash. It will do it, but it’s an utter waste. In the NHL, that’s dangerous because of the opportunity cost of playing Barzal on the wing.

Speed

Barzal is obnoxiously fast. According to NHL EDGE, Barzal’s top speed last season was 22.48 mph. That’s “only” in the 65th percentile. It’s his ability to be at that speed constantly. He was in the 99th percentile for bursts between 18-20 mph and 20-22 mph. He was also in the 95th percentile for bursts over 22 mph. It’s not his one-off speed; it’s his constant speed that causes problems.

That works on the wing because he’s got a more direct path to use it, even if it isn’t optimal. Out wide, it becomes less about finding a path and more about just getting a move on.

The most obvious counterpoint is that the same speed that makes his wing transition doable is more dangerous in the middle of the ice. You want the best players operating in the middle of the ice because it is where they have the biggest chance to control a game.

The middle of the ice is the hardest area in hockey to play because you trade the physical cost for more space to operate in. It is where you need your best players to be. For Barzal, that’s critical because of his speed and passing ability, but it becomes most dangerous when he has multiple options. Out wide, you’re limited by the boards. Barzal needs space to use his explosive speed, or it goes to waste.

Barzal’s Offensive Role

Barzal was fourth on the Islanders in goal scoring, despite leading the team in points. He is primarily a playmaker; he wants to create for his linemates. Putting him on the wing limits that because he loses space to work in. Playing Barzal on the wing on the power play is a different conversation because it means he still has the space he would at 5-on-5. So, the adverse effects of the move within the lineup are most felt at 5-on-5.

Barzal played a lot on the wing of Horvat last season, and after the trade deadline, he played beside Brayden Schenn, too. Barzal had 12 5-on-5 goals last season, tied for third among Islanders forwards. That was his worst goal-scoring season at 5-on-5 in a season in which he played more than 60 games. The Islanders need more goals, and last season created issues for him in converting.

Now, hockey is still a game of a little rubber disc bouncing around on ice while 10 guys try to put it in a 24-square-foot area guarded by guys dressed up like the Michelin Man. There are numerous elements of luck, strange physics, and bad bounces that also play a role in a player’s period of struggle. Playing Barzal wide is one of several factors behind his subpar even-strength production, but it remains a key one.

As it stands, the Islanders’ roster isn’t structurally sound enough to justify moving the star away from the pivotal area of the ice. Barzal is the best forward on the Islanders’ roster, and they need him to be at his best. The opportunity cost of playing him on the wing is shoving a cylinder through a square hole. It will work, but that is not what it is intended to do.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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