New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal would be classified as a playmaker over his six-year NHL career. A player with impeccable edge work and vision, having the ability to create time and space for his teammates is what he does best. But the problem over the last couple of seasons has been the lack of production from his linemates and his inability to carry an offense.

Was it safe to call Mathew Barzal a superstar, or was Barzal more of a Robin-like character in a Batman movie?

The point is, if Barzal could add a scoring element to his game, he became not just a more productive player for the Islanders, but a harder player for opponents to cover.

Opponents would not just be able to gameplan for a Barzal pass, but would have to respect the shot.

And in 2021, that kind of Barzal has been present.

In 27 games, Barzal has seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points. He leads the Islanders in points per game (0..9), even-strength goals (7) His seven goals have all come at even strength, which has him atop the Islanders’ leaderboard in that category.

His 15

lthough the New York Islanders’ offense this season has not been lethal by any means, Barzal has done more this season in terms of taking matters into his own hands.