As good as he and the New York Islanders have been, the team has been finding ways accumulate points while Mathew Barzal struggles in the adjustment away from the puck.
The NHL’s reigning Calder Trophy winner may have 12 points in 14 games this season, and no, Barzal’s struggles have nothing to do with having just a single goal thus far. Barzal was never advertised as a goal-scorer, and his body of work from last season — which includes tying Bryan Trottier’s 63-assist mark for rookies — enforced that.
The sophomore slump is commonplace in the league and nobody was denying it would take effect.