Mathew Barzal, the face of the New York Islanders, began the 2023-24 season in full health after suffering an injury to finish last season. The 2023-24 season was also the first of his eight-year contract, signed at $9.15 million per year. This was a massive, but worthwhile, contract extension necessary to lock in the team’s top forward for the remainder of his prime. He surpassed expectations, finishing the season with a career-high in goals and the highest point total since his rookie season.
Barzal’s Offense
There is no doubting Barzal’s talent. He is a speedy skater with elite edgework and vision who utilizes his skill to create a plethora of offensive opportunities in each game. In previous seasons, he has struggled to get his linemates to capitalize on his passes, but this season was a different story.
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The addition of Bo Horvat to Barzal’s line pushed him to the right wing. While he still played the center of the ice, he was not relied on in the faceoff circle, allowing him to play more aggressively in the offensive zone. This was the key to unlocking Barzal’s potential as now, for the first time in his career, he was playing alongside an elite goal scorer.
Barzal spent the majority of the season alongside Horvat and Anders Lee before a late-season switch in lines. Together, the three had great analytics, possessing a 57.7 expected goals percentage (xG%) in 482.6 minutes, according to Money Puck. While Lee struggled in his own right, Barzal found his groove on the line and showcased why he should be considered one of the league’s top playmakers and forwards.
More notable in Barzal’s game was his increase in shooting. He is known for his vision and playmaking ability, but he has a stellar wrist shot that is underrated among fans. He can score from anywhere on the ice but is best when skating towards the net, in the slot, or near the hash marks. He finished the season with a career-high in goals, expected goals, and shots. While this may look to be an outlier for his point totals, it is likely just the beginning, as his offensive production is poised to increase once more talent is added to his line.
Barzal’s Defense
Barzal is not a defensive specialist, but he is far from a liability. He finished the season with a minus-16 penalty-minute goal differential, meaning he drew 16 more penalty minutes than he took. He was also relatively responsible with the puck, finishing with just six more giveaways than takeaways on the season, the closest he has finished a season in his career. He is not known or relied on for his defense, but it is nice to see improvement at the same time his offensive totals improved.
Final Grade: A
Expectations for Barzal varied. With only ever hitting the 20-goal mark once prior to this season, he was expected to flirt with reaching the mark again without necessarily reaching it. He was also coming off a major injury, so a slow start was not out of the question. However, he lived up to and passed almost all expectations placed upon him, so it is hard to say he is not deserving of an A-level grade. He helped carry the offensive load when the depth struggled, was a key reason the powerplay was no longer bottom of the league, and consistently played like a star.
Heading into next season, Barzal’s goal should be to maintain this success. Solidifying the third linemate should be a key focus for Islanders’ management as finding one could take the line from elite to one of the best in hockey. In the end, it was a great season for Barzal, and the Islanders should be thrilled with his performance.
