Man this is one of the most manic threads I have ever read. I seriously can't believe the level of pessimism from some. Last years stats certainly do matter. The dude had an 85 point rookie season. I don't care what kind of defensive system or what kind of lines he went up against, he still scored 85 points. Tied with Anton Stastny and Malkin for 17th all time. There so few players in the history of the NHL that have had such rookie seasons and then gone on to bust or even to have mediocre careers. The odds are against that happening and in his favor. I would be shocked if that's how things went. As far as his shooting, 22 of those 85 were goals, on 170 shots at 12.9%. The % a bit high likely and was bound to come down. He definitely needs to shoot more, but he's by no means a terrible goal scorer. He's not a sniper either but he can put the puck in the net in numerous ways and his shot is decent, I might even say his wrister can be above average. He's definitely having a sophomore slump, but so many professional athletes go through that in all sports. It's so common its usually not a thing to worry much about. Now there certainly are players who don't bounce back after that sophomore slump and their rookie years certainly begin to look like flukes. But I don't see Barzal in that category. Just watching him play you can see all the talent in the world and the skills. All of his problems are mental, emotional or educational. Meaning they can and should be corrected in time. He's not even 22 years old until the upcoming May. If anyone was comparing him to Tavares or thinking he would take over Tavares' spot and transition the team as if nothing changed were either completely delusional or on the sauce. Can't think of any rational reason to have expected him to avoid growing pains and just replace one of the best all around players in the NHL, regardless of how many points he can score. Not to mention Barzal is a completely different type of player than Tavares. They play two completely different styles in the same position. So he still needs to work on some things. I think most of it is mental, but he also needs some work in his timing and especially his faceoffs. If I were coaching him I would definitely make him spend hours and hours on faceoffs. The rest will all come with time IMO.
Also, he needs better linemates. I don't care how many points Baily, Beauvillier, Nelson or Eberle score, there is no current winger on the Islander roster that is real first line material. There is no partner there to push Barzal and match him in talent. I have some hope for Ho-Sang, a bit less for Bellows and a lot less for Dal Colle. Really, I think the only winger in the Isles entire system that has a good chance at being that star winger partner, star sniper to pair with Barzal is Wahlstrom. If I were Barzal or an Isles fan I would be dreaming of the day Wahlstrom is ready to come play in the NHL. I guess it could be as early as the end of this season, but more likely next season or the end of next season. All though, Ho-Sang has shown glimpses and Bellows seems like hes the kind of power forward that might take longer to mature. Eventually though, I think Bellows could be the perfect third partner for a Bellows - Barzal - Wahlstrom line. Which I think could be something special. But its going to be a while.
Anyway, he's having a down year. He's still a gem any team would be lucky to have. I think he's going to be a star for a very long time. All though, they definitely need to draft better. Outside of Barzal, Wahlstrom and probably Dobson, they have mostly had awful drafts. I guess you could throw Sorokin into that, but I worry about him coming to the US. Not to mention it is going to be years before he can even play in North America, and he will probably need time in the AHL.
But yea, they need to draft better. I have my fingers crossed that Dobson was the guy. A lot of terrific D in this years draft, not sure if he was the right one. Wahlstrom though, I have a lot of faith in.
