New York, USA; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) plays the puck between his legs against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at UBS Arena.
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy Hockey

Fantasy Hockey Feature: Managing Mathew Barzal's expectations

There were two defining traits to Mathew Barzal’s 85-point rookie season with the New York Islanders. The first was great offensive chemistry with Jordan Eberle. That duo pushed the pace at 5-on-5 as their on-ice shot rates were very high whether with Anthony Beauvillier (41.2 per 60 minutes) or Andrew Ladd (35.0/60) on the left side. It remains the only season where Barzal was on the ice for at least 35 shots/60 at 5-on-5. Combine that with a solid team shooting percentage of 9.6% and it was a very good offensive season. 

The second trait was the power play. Barzal managed 27 power play points that season, which is still his career-high and remains the only season where he’s managed over 20. (In fairness, he would have surpassed 20 PPPs in 2022-23 had he stayed healthy, but his point total

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Fantasy Hockey New York Islanders NHL Mathew Barzal
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