The New York Islanders knew they had something special in Mathew Barzal when they drafted him 16th overall in 2015. We had to wait until the 2017-18 before we could see it on display in the NHL.
That season he put up 85 points in 82 games and claimed that season’s Calder Trophy for his efforts. His ability to create, find, and exploit space on the ice was something that the Islanders hadn’t seen in a long time.
But what gave Mathew Barzal a true edge was his incredible skating ability and pure speed.