The Islanders are heading into 2026-27 with their best forward in a spot that feels more like a compromise than a plan. Mathew Barzal is expected to spend most of the season on the wing, and while that won’t be a brand-new role for him, it does raise an obvious question: why take the team’s most important offensive weapon away from the middle of the ice?
That concern starts with how much the Islanders lean on him. Barzal has been the club’s premier centre for almost ten years and remains the only true star forward in the core.
Last season made that dependence impossible to miss. In 81 games, he put up 19 goals and 53 assists for 72 points, easily leading the team.
Only Bo Horvat joined him among Islanders forwards in topping 50 points.
His value goes beyond the box score, too. Natural Stat Trick credited Barzal with 64.60 expected goals at 5-on-5, which was more than any other Islanders forward.
He also led the team’s forwards with a 3.14 expected goals for per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. That’s the kind of production that tells you he isn’t just finishing plays - he’s driving them.
That’s exactly why the wing usage feels so awkward. Barzal can play there, and he did plenty of it last season on Horvat’s wing and later beside Brayden Schenn after the trade deadline.
But moving him out wide trims away some of what makes him special. He is a playmaker first, and the middle of the ice gives him more room to read the play, attack, and create for teammates.
Along the boards, that space shrinks fast.
The speed is still there, though, and it’s a big part of why the move is workable at all. NHL EDGE had Barzal’s top speed last season at 22.48 mph, which landed him in the 65th percentile.
The real separator was how often he got up to high speed. He ranked in the 99th percentile for bursts between 18-20 mph and 20-22 mph, and in the 95th percentile for bursts over 22 mph.
That constant gear is a problem for defenders whether he’s in the middle or on the flank.
Even so, the middle is where that speed and passing ability matter most. The best players are supposed to live there because that’s where they can control more of the game.
Out wide, Barzal has fewer options and less room to punish teams. The skill still plays, but not in the same way.
There’s also the simple fact that Barzal was fourth on the Islanders in goals last season despite finishing first in points. That tells the story pretty clearly: his game is built around creating, not just scoring. He did manage 12 5-on-5 goals, tied for third among Islanders forwards, but that was also his worst 5-on-5 goal output in any season where he played more than 60 games.
Of course, hockey has plenty of noise in it. Bounces go sideways, chances die in weird places, and not every slump can be pinned on one thing. Still, the wing move is one of the bigger reasons Barzal’s even-strength production looks the way it does.
For now, the Islanders appear set on using their top forward away from the most valuable real estate on the ice. Maybe it works.
Barzal has the skill to survive there and even thrive. But it also looks like a team trying to force its best player into a shape that doesn’t quite fit.
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