Islanders Look to Matt Barzal as Key Player
The Islanders are counting on Matt Barzal to take on a central role, at least for now, as they wait for prospect Calum Ritchie to be ready for the NHL.
Barzal had been focusing on adapting his game to play alongside Horvat before a kneecap injury ended his season in February. After spending time healing and undergoing surgery, he’s slowly getting back into his rhythm.
“It might take a bit to get him fully adjusted, but we have the time to work with it,” coach Patrick Roy mentioned recently. “We’ll see how it goes, and there will definitely be some adjustments for him.” Barzal appeared to be in good form during a recent scrimmage.
“Honestly, it feels like I’ve been doing this forever,” he said about playing center again. “Kind of like riding a bike, you know?”
However, there’s a concern: Barzal has historically struggled in the faceoff circle, with a career win percentage of just 42.3%. That wasn’t great, especially compared to the Islanders’ impressive 54.9% last year.
“He’ll be working with me and some of our top centermen like J-G Pageau and Horvat,” an assistant coach noted. “It’s important for him and he’s committed to improving.” Earlier in the week, Barzal expressed a desire to still get time with Horvat, even if they’re occasionally separated, to keep building that chemistry.
But if Barzal starts out the season at center, the chances of that happening could be limited, especially in crunch time.
While Barzal is optimistic about the upcoming season, it seems he’s not ready to give up on the idea of pairing with Horvat.
“He’s going to be one of the top defensive players, if not the best in the league,” Barzal added, acknowledging Horvat’s strong instincts on the ice.
In other news, MSG announced their broadcast schedule for the Islanders, which will include 72 regular-season games and four preseason games. Brendan Burke will handle play-by-play duties, alongside analysts Butch Goring and Thomas Hickey, while Shannon Hogan and Cal Clutterbuck will cover pre-game and post-game segments.
