Player Discussion: Mathew Barzal

[Quickdraw2828]

Unless the Islanders are playing Edmonton Barzal will always be the best skater on the ice. He was better than plodding Johnny Pajamas last year and he's only going to get better no matter which line he's on. He has an ego and you know he wants to outplay Pajamas to lead the team. He is going to have a monster year if he stays healthy. I see him as a top ten offensive player this year.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Unless the Islanders are playing Edmonton Barzal will always be the best skater on the ice. He was better than plodding Johnny Pajamas last year and he's only going to get better no matter which line he's on. He has an ego and you know he wants to outplay Pajamas to lead the team. He is going to have a monster year if he stays healthy. I see him as a top ten offensive player this year.

I will take it even one step further. I think it terms of lateral, diagonal, and straight away speed. Batzal is as good a skater as McDavid. When you look at all the components that make a great skater in the NHL, Barzal scores high in all. He also has a low Center of gravity so he is super strong on his skates.

This is why I am very confident, when people say he will regress as a player, and we know which fanbase likes to toot this horn because Barzal is better than who they drafted.

I know there are not going to be any falling off cliff regressions. Barzal should get even better. He is working with Krantz on his skating this summer. For a guy that is already one of the best skaters in the NHL, this is so impressive. He may even be better this season.

 

[PWJunior]

I will take it even one step further. I think it terms of lateral, diagonal, and straight away speed. Batzal is as good a skater as McDavid. When you look at all the components that make a great skater in the NHL, Barzal scores high in all. He also has a low Center of gravity so he is super strong on his skates.

This is why I am very confident, when people say he will regress as a player, and we know which fanbase likes to toot this horn because Barzal is better than who they drafted.

I know there are not going to be any falling off cliff regressions. Barzal should get even better. He is working with Krantz on his skating this summer. For a guy that is already one of the best skaters in the NHL, this is so impressive. He may even be better this season.

McDavid is the most explosive skater in the NHL, his jets are unmatched. Barzal is the most technically sound skater in the NHL and thus he is as elusive as you'll find. He's always in motion, always winding up. Once he gets the puck, he controls the play. His east-west skating is unmatched, he changes speeds and always seems to be that one step ahead of everyone else. I actually don't think Barzal's stride is all that explosive, his superior technique makes it seem effortless. It's like Leddy, but better. That's insane.

I think Barzal is going to be better this year. He dictates the play when he has the puck, it doesn't matter who the matchup is. Teams planned for him last year, he still excelled. I think he goes 90+ and puts an exclamation point to who the new face of the franchise is.

 

[BarBeauWahlDobLok]

Also, don't forget, and I'm sure you haven't, Josh Ho-Sang has similar abilities to Mat Barzal. If we're going to be a puck control team built on speed and it works out, Johnny Pajama is a memory that will fade exponentially quicker.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

McDavid is the most explosive skater in the NHL, his jets are unmatched. Barzal is the most technically sound skater in the NHL and thus he is as elusive as you'll find. He's always in motion, always winding up. Once he gets the puck, he controls the play. His east-west skating is unmatched, he changes speeds and always seems to be that one step ahead of everyone else. I actually don't think Barzal's stride is all that explosive, his superior technique makes it seem effortless. It's like Leddy, but better. That's insane.

I think Barzal is going to be better this year. He dictates the play when he has the puck, it doesn't matter who the matchup is. Teams planned for him last year, he still excelled. I think he goes 90+ and puts an exclamation point to who the new face of the franchise is.

McDavid's speed and acceleration is the best in the NHL. Barzal's lateral movement and deception I can say is the best in the NHL. What I love about him is he is still working at it to get even better. This drive to get even better will serve him well. Also how he studies the game, like another great young Center does. Scheifele. I have no problems saying Barzal will one year hit 100 points. I don't know when, but if the Isles ever become a great team. Look out. Barzal will be putting up numbers hard to match for most, with the exception of 97.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Please don't ban me from the Islanders board after my post in the Barzal versus Laine poll.

 

[And You Feel Shame]

Please don't ban me from the Islanders board after my post in the Barzal versus Laine poll.

Nice post there.

Now if we could ban posters in here, there's probably a long list, but you're not on it. Not only that but at least as far as I am concerned, your presence here deserves as high a level of respect as I had for Trottier (the poster) back in the days before he got fed up and quit our boards. He and Seph were the voices of reason many days. Seph still posts on rare occasions and I look forward to those posts when I see them, just as I do yours, sir.

 

[boredmale]

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Kid can't even kick the puck in the net, what a LOSER!

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Matt The Sturgeon Barzal!

 

[Islesfan22]

Kid can't even kick the puck in the net, what a LOSER!

He knew it wouldn't count anyway.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Kid can't even kick the puck in the net, what a LOSER!

That was a pass.

 

[sabremike]

Matt The Sturgeon Barzal!

Barzal and noted fish enthusiast Lehner doing a fishing show together would be the greatest thing ever. Even better would be Barzal bringing Lehner to a techno concert and Lehner bringing Barzal to a Scandinavian black metal concert.

 

[LordNeverLose]

Kinda interesting stat I found:

Mathew Barzal last season:
In regulation wins - 55 points in 35 games
In regularion losses - 20 points in 37 games
In games going to OT - 10 points in 10 games


Not saying there's causation in either direction just thought it was interesting.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Kinda interesting stat I found:

Mathew Barzal last season:
In regulation wins - 55 points in 35 games
In regularion losses - 20 points in 37 games
In games going to OT - 10 points in 10 games


Not saying there's causation in either direction just thought it was interesting.

Looking at this. He was a difference maker on the Isles last year. It's kind of hard to imagine how bad it could be if the Isles didn't have him.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Kinda interesting stat I found:

Mathew Barzal last season:
In regulation wins - 55 points in 35 games
In regularion losses - 20 points in 37 games
In games going to OT - 10 points in 10 games


Not saying there's causation in either direction just thought it was interesting.

OT: the bolded made me think of that commercial where the puppet texted the woman what to say to the man trying to sell her a cell phone and she misread it as "and what about convelarian fees?" when it was supposed to be cancelation fees.

On topic - I think you see those kind of numbers with most players who drive their team's success/failure. I think it separates the key guys from the support players.

 

[LordNeverLose]

OT: the bolded made me think of that commercial where the puppet texted the woman what to say to the man trying to sell her a cell phone and she misread it as "and what about convelarian fees?" when it was supposed to be cancelation fees.

On topic - I think you see those kind of numbers with most players who drive their team's success/failure. I think it separates the key guys from the support players.

After seeing it, I checked a few other big name players. Pretty much all of them had better stats in wins, obviously, but I don't think any had quite the discrepancy Barzal had.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

After seeing it, I checked a few other big name players. Pretty much all of them had better stats in wins, obviously, but I don't think any had quite the discrepancy Barzal had.

Another interesting thing to look up is how the team does when a player gets a point and how the team does when they go pointless. That also can hint at what player's production actually impacts wins and losses and what player gets their points with very little impact on how the team does.

 

[mm11]

so shut down #13 and you should win. Barzal will be the 100% focus of other teams is not an overstatement unfortunately... Will he be up to the challenge? After seeing his sensational rookie year I would not bet against him.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

One thing that this year reminds me of is when Barzal led the Seattle Thunderbirds to the memorial cup as by far their best player. It was really Barzal and a lot of foot soldiers on that team. Not saying the Isles are going to the cup finals this season, but that Barzal has done it before as the marquee player on a team. It's a position he is used to. Which bodes well for Mathew.

 

[Isles Junkie]

 

[seafoam]

so shut down #13 and you should win. Barzal will be the 100% focus of other teams is not an overstatement unfortunately... Will he be up to the challenge? After seeing his sensational rookie year I would not bet against him.

That’s why the development of Ho-Sang, Wahlstrom, and whatever center they hopefully draft next year are important.

They are the guys who in my opinion have the ability to drive offense, which will give this forward lineup depth, which ironically may be the thing this team needs a couple years down the road when Dobson and Sorokin are on the scene.

**Wanted to note that I think Bellows has the ability to be an important part of the team’s future, but he doesn’t really drive offense.

Which is fine, I think the aim is to have four “core” forwards who have the ability to drive offense, but two of them need to be centers. Then you sprinkle in two complimentary guys who work well off of your core players. That’s where I see Bellows, alongside Beauvillier (whom I need to see more of before being convinced he can drive offense).**

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

But what’s his rating???

 

[MikeyMike01]

But what’s his rating???

It was 87 last year

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

It was 87 last year

I think it was 85, I was expecting 88 but he’s not in the top 50 and Toews is the 50th best player at 87