pains some people to see the Isles have a legit young franchise center at age 20. If not for busted knee cap in junior #13 was on a top 5 radar as far as picks. Heck some were flirting as saying it was the Mcdavid or Barzal draft. Barzal has done some things in his rookie year that has not been done for decades.
Oh no doubt.
And even though I may not like the Islanders, this isn't the 80's or 90's.
In fact, I happen to like most of the players on the team, some very much so. Social media has truly changed things in that way...unless you are Brad Marchand, who I dislike even more after reading his media banter.
From what I see of the kid, and I am lucky enough to watch him a lot, he is going to be a true star.
However, I still stand behind my point.
I just don't like placing players in top tiers, (especially those saying he is generational), before his first NHL season is even completed.
The same goes for McDavid and all the awards he has already won. I like to see a guy maintaining or continuing to grow (from an elite start), at least 30 games into their fourth season.
When you have a kid playing NHL game 320, and he is still "all that," he has earned his place.
Just my opinion.
I haven't seen too many Barzals on the Rangers over the decades, but I have certainly thought in a good handful of cases that NYR had a true gem on their hands, only to have that player fade away, have an injury change his career trajectory, end a career, die or have that player reach star status only after being traded away...from Middleton to Zubov, from Weight to Miller/Ridley to Nordstrom. Marc Savard, Dahlen, Beezer (forced), Kovalev and Amonte.