New York Islanders All-Star Mathew Barzal may not be lighting up the scoresheet the way Isles fans expect, but ask the 28-year-old himself, and he’ll tell you he’s playing some of the best all-around hockey of his career. And honestly? The evidence backs him up.
Barzal remains one of the NHL’s great inkblot tests – you can watch him dominate shifts with the puck on his stick, or you can wonder why that dominance doesn’t always translate into points. Over the past two weeks, he’s tallied only three points in six games. Yet the Islanders have won seven of their past nine, and Barzal has been at the center of so much of their offensive flow.
“Individually, I feel great,” Barzal said after Tuesday’s practice. “Numbers are what they are right now, but the quality of my game has been really solid. Maybe the best of my career.”
The analytics agree. Barzal sits in the 84th percentile league-wide in offensive-zone time, per NHL Edge, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. And defensively? He’s giving up almost nothing – only Jonathan Drouin has allowed fewer expected goals among Islanders forwards.
After a knee injury last season #Isles forward Mat Barzal has 17 points in the first 22 games. More importantly, he says he’s healed, healthy, winning and playing some of the most confident hockey of his career lately. @News12LI @IslesFix @IslesMets63 @IslesGirl3 @RTaub_ pic.twitter.com/SodGGPvH2N
— Kevin Maher (@KMaherNews12) November 25, 2025
His move back to center has forced him into more defensive responsibility, more puck management, and more two-way engagement — all areas he says have improved dramatically. His 17 points in 22 games aren’t eye-popping, but Barzal insists he could easily have “10–15 more,” calling missed conversions more a matter of luck than process.
Most importantly? He doesn’t care about the stat sheet — not anymore.
“I care about wins,” Barzal said. “And we’re winning.” For a player often judged by what he isn’t, Barzal is quietly reminding everyone just how much he already is.