Player Discussion: Mathew Barzal

[PWJunior]

I have always had that assumption. I think it is a really big reason we are all hoping JHS pans out because he was another player with great zone entry capabilities.

We've seen a variation of this article in the Ho-Sang thread...

Josh Ho-Sang is Already Elite

JHS is also on both lists.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I have always had that assumption. I think it is a really big reason we are all hoping JHS pans out because he was another player with great zone entry capabilities.

I thought it was funny that a link to a study about zone entries needed to be produced when by simply watching Barzal it would be painfully obvious to anyone that had watched him play he was already one of the best in the NHL at this god given skill few players can match him at that he routinely does.

 

[Quickdraw2828]

I thought it was funny that a link to a study about zone entries needed to be produced when by simply watching Barzal it would be painfully obvious to anyone that had watched him play he was already one of the best in the NHL at this god given skill few players can match him at that he routinely does.

It's like he has a ten foot force field around him when he skates.

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Wouldn't be surprised if he does have a dip in points but honestly, he adapts very quickly from what I've seen and known. Even with his injuries, he took like a 10-15 game adjustment period and people were questioning how it'll affect his trajectory in the draft but towards the end he was fine. NHL is definitely more punishing so the only thing I would be worried about him having targets on his back really.

Enter Martin, Johnston & Komarov.

Basically everyone on the team will drop the gloves for Barzal, but you can be sure if anyone puts a target on his back they are going to get a Ross Johnston knuckle sandwich with extra ketchup

 

[Mess]

Enter Martin, Johnston & Komarov.

Basically everyone on the team will drop the gloves for Barzal, but you can be sure if anyone puts a target on his back they are going to get a Ross Johnston knuckle sandwich with extra ketchup

Matt Martin and Leo Komarov will go from insulating Marner and Nylander from physicality to providing Mat Barzal now the same benefit of their hitting being among the league leaders in that category and drawing the attention away from the skilled players.

With Martin in particular teams will be hesitant to abuse Barzal and take liberties because they will know retribution will be coming. This is going to allow Barzal to do what he does best and skate circles around players and make plays among the best in the league.

Lou Lam understands well how to shelter his key offensive players allowing them to feel secure by having others have their backs.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

It's like he has a ten foot force field around him when he skates.

Barzal still works with skating coach Victor Krantz, a former Olympic medalist. This is the dedication this kid has. This is why I never worry about him not getting better. He is a student of the game that studies tape, he is a kid that works hard to be better because he wants to be better. He will be better than Judas Traitor Tavares. (Am I doing this right Isles fans?) Than he ever was for this Isles organization. Mark my words on this.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Enter Martin, Johnston & Komarov.

Basically everyone on the team will drop the gloves for Barzal, but you can be sure if anyone puts a target on his back they are going to get a Ross Johnston knuckle sandwich with extra ketchup

If the refs don't step in first...

 

[IslesNbeer]

Barzal still works with skating coach Victor Krantz, a former Olympic medalist. This is the dedication this kid has. This is why I never worry about him not getting better. He is a student of the game that studies tape, he is a kid that works hard to be better because he wants to be better. He will be better than Judas Traitor Tavares. (Am I doing this right Isles fans?) Than he ever was for this Isles organization. Mark my words on this.

That is dedication, I like it.

 

[crasherino]

Barzal still works with skating coach Victor Krantz, a former Olympic medalist. This is the dedication this kid has. This is why I never worry about him not getting better. He is a student of the game that studies tape, he is a kid that works hard to be better because he wants to be better. He will be better than Judas Traitor Tavares. (Am I doing this right Isles fans?) Than he ever was for this Isles organization. Mark my words on this.

Just curious - where are you getting this from? I don't not believe you and I'm glad to hear it its just that I don't recall seeing that info in the publicly available information on him (although I admittedly may have missed a bunch).

General question....what % of NHL players routinely work with skating coaches? I know Tavares worked with Dawn Braid which seemed to help him over the years but it may be the case that all of them do (in the offseason at least) but we just don't hear about it. Is an elite skater like Barzal working with a skating coach significant or more of the ho-hum - that's what everyone does - variety?

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Just curious - where are you getting this from? I don't not believe you and I'm glad to hear it its just that I don't recall seeing that info in the publicly available information on him (although I admittedly may have missed a bunch).

General question....what % of NHL players routinely work with skating coaches? I know Tavares worked with Dawn Braid which seemed to help him over the years but it may be the case that all of them do (in the offseason at least) but we just don't hear about it. Is an elite skater like Barzal working with a skating coach significant or more of the ho-hum - that's what everyone does - variety?

Victor Krantz on twitter I recall seeing him touting Barzal as one of his skating proteges. I believe it has more to do with being strong on one's skates rather than speed. Barzal always had the speed, but now he is so hard to knock off the puck. Very unique, great edge work, low center of gravity, and separation gear with incredible vision with soft or hard passes. Which is why he is one of the best zone entry players in the entire NHL. These are the type of things that make me confident he will not have a major sophomore slump that some are predicting with Tavares gone. Unless his teammates cannot finish, he will produce. He can't help it.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Victor Krantz on twitter I recall seeing him touting Barzal as one of his skating proteges. I believe it has more to do with being strong on one's skates rather than speed. Barzal always had the speed, but now he is so hard to knock off the puck. Very unique, great edge work, low center of gravity, and separation gear with incredible vision with soft or hard passes. Which is why he is one of the best zone entry players in the entire NHL. These are the type of things that make me confident he will not have a major sophomore slump that some are predicting with Tavares gone. Unless his teammates cannot finish, he will produce. He can't help it.

We have Filppula now, so we're good there

 

[crasherino]

Victor Krantz on twitter I recall seeing him touting Barzal as one of his skating proteges. I believe it has more to do with being strong on one's skates rather than speed. Barzal always had the speed, but now he is so hard to knock off the puck. Very unique, great edge work, low center of gravity, and separation gear with incredible vision with soft or hard passes. Which is why he is one of the best zone entry players in the entire NHL. These are the type of things that make me confident he will not have a major sophomore slump that some are predicting with Tavares gone. Unless his teammates cannot finish, he will produce. He can't help it.

Roger - thanks for that.

I remember seeing pictures of him during his first training camp and the comments were that he was a thick, compact guy. You don't necessarily get that when looking at a guy in pads (especially a skater like Barzy - you just assume he's all finesse), but its not surprising to see how strong he ends up being on his skates.

Maybe he'll face tougher defensive assignments now that he's the only show in town, but with the speed and agility he enters the zone with, I don't think he's slowing down much. And as far as finishing, that's why I like re-signing Eberle....for all his potential warts (which we haven't seen too much of), he knows where to be, knows how to finish. They pair up well together.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Roger - thanks for that.

I remember seeing pictures of him during his first training camp and the comments were that he was a thick, compact guy. You don't necessarily get that when looking at a guy in pads (especially a skater like Barzy - you just assume he's all finesse), but its not surprising to see how strong he ends up being on his skates.

Maybe he'll face tougher defensive assignments now that he's the only show in town, but with the speed and agility he enters the zone with, I don't think he's slowing down much. And as far as finishing, that's why I like re-signing Eberle....for all his potential warts (which we haven't seen too much of), he knows where to be, knows how to finish. They pair up well together.

Here was a tweet from Krantz. You will probably find more in his twitter feed. Cheers.

 

[CupHolders]

Victor Krantz on twitter I recall seeing him touting Barzal as one of his skating proteges. I believe it has more to do with being strong on one's skates rather than speed. Barzal always had the speed, but now he is so hard to knock off the puck. Very unique, great edge work, low center of gravity, and separation gear with incredible vision with soft or hard passes. Which is why he is one of the best zone entry players in the entire NHL. These are the type of things that make me confident he will not have a major sophomore slump that some are predicting with Tavares gone. Unless his teammates cannot finish, he will produce. He can't help it.

Yep. It has long been a pet peeve of mine when people ONLY equate speed as a sign of a great skater. Speed IS immensely important. But there is more that goes into elite skating. Things you have touched upon above.

I’d argue that Barzal’s skating style is as perfect as you can get for the game of hockey. His tight edge work and ability to pick-up and drop speed in tight corners, coupled with balance, center of gravity and leg strength help to make him extremely elusive. For the old timers think of NFL HOF running backs Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders.

Another exceptional thing he is capable of, is a back-hand pass as good as his forehand. It gives him near 360 degree of attack.

Then you take his ability to process the game at high speeds and that just puts the ribbon on top of an already extremely impressive package.

LOL... I’m not against advanced statistics... but in this case I certainly don’t need a spreadsheet (as per the article referenced earlier) to tell me I’m looking at a thoroughbred.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Yep. It has long been a pet peeve of mine when people ONLY equate speed as a sign of a great skater. Speed IS immensely important. But there is more that goes into elite skating. Things you have touched upon above.

I’d argue that Barzal’s skating style is as perfect as you can get for the game of hockey. His tight edge work and ability to pick-up and drop speed in tight corners, coupled with balance, center of gravity and leg strength make him extremely elusive. For the old timers think of NFL HOF running backs Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders.

The other exceptional thing is pass on his back-hand as well as is for hand. It gives him near 360 degree of attack.

Then you take his ability to process the game at high speeds and that just puts the ribbon on top of an already extremely impressive package.

LOL... I’m not against advanced statistics... but in this case I certainly don’t need a spreadsheet to tell me I’m looking at a thoroughbred.

I think Barzal is just as good a skater as McDavid is. McDavid is faster and more explosive, but Barzal is shiftier and stronger on his feet. Really the difference is minuscule for these 2. It's a skating league now, if you are one-two the best skaters in the NHL with hockey intelligence and skill. You are going to do very well in the league.

 

[crasherino]

Here was a tweet from Krantz. You will probably find more in his twitter feed. Cheers.

Found this too....appreciate the responses.

Barzal – Glittering Year And Best Is Yet To Come

Luke Fox of Sportsnet pointed out that Barzal has spent summers training with world champion ice dancer, Victor Kraatz, based in Vancouver near Barzal’s hometown, Coquitlam, British Columbia.
“I’ve really worked on my speed and edge work (with Kraatz) and gotten faster. That took my game to the next level,” said Barzal.

 

[SI90]

Yep. It has long been a pet peeve of mine when people ONLY equate speed as a sign of a great skater. Speed IS immensely important. But there is more that goes into elite skating. Things you have touched upon above.

I’d argue that Barzal’s skating style is as perfect as you can get for the game of hockey. His tight edge work and ability to pick-up and drop speed in tight corners, coupled with balance, center of gravity and leg strength make him extremely elusive. For the old timers think of NFL HOF running backs Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders.

The other exceptional thing is pass on his back-hand as well as is for hand. It gives him near 360 degree of attack.

Then you take his ability to process the game at high speeds and that just puts the ribbon on top of an already extremely impressive package.

LOL... I’m not against advanced statistics... but in this case I certainly don’t need a spreadsheet to tell me I’m looking at a thoroughbred.

I have the same pet peeve.

 

[CupHolders]

I have the same pet peeve.

Then you Sir, shall have my “Like!”

 

[Islesfan22]

Barzal still works with skating coach Victor Krantz, a former Olympic medalist. This is the dedication this kid has. This is why I never worry about him not getting better. He is a student of the game that studies tape, he is a kid that works hard to be better because he wants to be better. He will be better than Judas Traitor Tavares. (Am I doing this right Isles fans?) Than he ever was for this Isles organization. Mark my words on this.

Barzal work ethic is through the roof. Barzal not having Tavares will see it is a challenge to raise his game to another level. Took an average Seattle team to the Memorial Cup. This kid is a special player and will only get better under Trots.

 

[PWJunior]

Barzal work ethic is through the roof. Barzal not having Tavares will see it is a challenge to raise his game to another level. Took an average Seattle team to the Memorial Cup. This kid is a special player and will only get better under Trots.

It's going to be an adjustment year for Barzal, it's not easy to transition to be 'the man' at 21. He's one of the finest technical skaters in the league, he can control the game when he has the puck on his stick. I think he takes the next step in his development, improves his overall game while having another PPG season and breaks 90. He has the ability and confidence to continue to trend up.

If he continues his progression and the talent around him is upgraded, I think he enters 2019-2020 as a strong Hart candidate and challenger to McDavid for the Art Ross. While I expect a down year this upcoming season, it's going to look good for Barzal to be the leader of a team back on the rebound after bottom out.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

My thoughts on Barzal are he will be the main focus for teams to defend this season, but really he was facing top lines and D pairings more and more in the 2nd half of the season last year.

From following him in Seattle he was by far and away the most defended player on that team for 3 seasons. This will be nothing new to him.

One reason on why I posted the Andrew Gross interview was he mentioned how Barzal will relish being the Isles main guy now.

I guess what I am saying is I am not worried about a sophomore slump. This doesn't mean I expect him to get 90, or 85 pts this season. Though put me in the corner it certainly would not surprise me.

As long as Barzal can skate at his elite level, points are not going to be hard to come by. I said the same for Kessel years ago. You can't teach elite skating and hockey IQ. Barzal has this in spades. I actually think he will be better without Judas The Pajama boy taking his mins.

If his wingers can finish and Barzie can stay healthy look for another impressive season. He has past the eye and stats test already for me. I don't expect the status quo, I expect even more improvement. I just know Mathew is thinking the same thing. And he knows the challenge upcoming this year.

He hasn't let us down yet. In Mathew I/we trust.

 

[PWJunior]

My thoughts on Barzal are he will be the main focus for teams to defend this season, but really he was facing top lines and D pairings more and more in the 2nd half of the season last year.

From following him in Seattle he was by far and away the most defended player on that team for 3 seasons. This will be nothing new to him.

One reason on why I posted the Andrew Gross interview was he mentioned how Barzal will relish being the Isles main guy now.

I guess what I am saying is I am not worried about a sophomore slump. This doesn't mean I expect him to get 90, or 85 pts this season. Though put me in the corner it certainly would not surprise me.

As long as Barzal can skate at his elite level, points are not going to be hard to come by. I said the same for Kessel years ago. You can't teach elite skating and hockey IQ. Barzal has this in spades. I actually think he will be better without Judas The Pajama boy taking his mins.

If his wingers can finish and Barzie can stay healthy look for another impressive season. He has past the eye and stats test already for me. I don't expect the status quo, I expect even more improvement. I just know Mathew is thinking the same thing. And he knows the challenge upcoming this year.

He hasn't let us down yet. In Mathew I/we trust.

We all heard about Barzal's 5 point games, he had a ton of multi-pointers and was fairly consistent throughout the season. That tells me how explosive he is offensively. When he's feeling it, he really feels it and everyone knows it. Players go 'en fuego' all the time, but I don't know many players who has a top level as high as Barzal and can get their as frequently as he can.

I don't expect much regression in point totals if at all, I do expect him to adjust into the alpha dog role fairly seamlessly. I'm not all that worried about Barzal, it's the team surrounding him that I have questions about.

 

[Islesfan22]

It's going to be an adjustment year for Barzal, it's not easy to transition to be 'the man' at 21. He's one of the finest technical skaters in the league, he can control the game when he has the puck on his stick. I think he takes the next step in his development, improves his overall game while having another PPG season and breaks 90. He has the ability and confidence to continue to trend up.

If he continues his progression and the talent around him is upgraded, I think he enters 2019-2020 as a strong Hart candidate and challenger to McDavid for the Art Ross. While I expect a down year this upcoming season, it's going to look good for Barzal to be the leader of a team back on the rebound after bottom out.

This kid is special. This kid was the best player on the ice for the islanders even getting top defenseman going against him the second half of the season. He made hot not get 80 points this season but with his elite skating IQ skill and work ethic I'm very confident he will put up at least 70 points. When I saw him two years ago under Cappy he was already good enough for the NHL. He did need to get stronger as he got knocked off his skates quite easily. Sending him back to juniors was definitely the right descision as he came into last years training camp so much stronger. I think Barzal very soon will be the second best center in the NHL only behind Mcdavid.

 

[PWJunior]

This kid is special. This kid was the best player on the ice for the islanders even getting top defenseman going against him the second half of the season. He made hot not get 80 points this season but with his elite skating IQ skill and work ethic I'm very confident he will put up at least 70 points. When I saw him two years ago under Cappy he was already good enough for the NHL. He did need to get stronger as he got knocked off his skates quite easily. Sending him back to juniors was definitely the right descision as he came into last years training camp so much stronger. I think Barzal very soon will be the second best center in the NHL only behind Mcdavid.

When it comes to young elite skating puck dominant centers, there's McDavid and then Barzal, Mackinnon, and Eichel. Barzal is the weakest goal scorer of the group, but he skews heaviest to playmaker so that's expected. I think Barzal's hockey IQ is right there with McDavid at the top of the list though.

I agree that the extra year in Seattle was beneficial for Barzal, he was fully cooked and ready to go out of the gate with the improvements made to his game.

 

[superdeluxe]

Barzal and Eansor were in Saskatchewan to help Ethan Bear’s skill camp at ochapowace Nation.