Mathew Barzal’s value to the New York Islanders has never depended on a stitched-on letter.
So when the team announced Brayden Schenn and Matthew Schaefer as alternate captains for the 2026-27 season, plenty of fans were happy with the move - Schenn brings the kind of veteran credibility that travels with him, and Schaefer, at just 19, has already become the face of the franchise after his sensational rookie season. Still, a chunk of the reaction centered on the same question: where does that leave Barzal?
It’s a fair question. Barzal is 29 and about to begin his 10th full NHL season, his 11th overall, and he has spent every one of them with the Islanders. Yet he has never worn a letter for the club.
That hasn’t been because he’s been overlooked in the room. It’s just the way the Islanders’ leadership picture has evolved over the years.
When Barzal first became a full-time NHLer, John Tavares was the captain, with Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck wearing the alternates and Andrew Ladd occasionally sliding in. By the time Barry Trotz arrived for 2018-19, Tavares was gone, but Bailey, Clutterbuck and Ladd were still part of the mix.
Trotz then named Anders Lee captain and Johnny Boychuk an alternate, replacing Bailey in that group.
Bailey and Clutterbuck held letters through the 2022-23 season before Bailey retired and Clutterbuck followed a year later. More recently, the Islanders have gone with Bo Horvat, Lee and Brock Nelson in those roles, and after Nelson’s departure, Ryan Pulock and Kyle Palmieri picked up shared alternate captain duties.
Through all of those changes, Barzal has remained a steady presence in the room and around the organization. One line in the source of this story gets at that perfectly: “Barzal stepped up and made sure Marchment wouldn't be trying anything funny like that ever again.”
Away from the rink, he’s also continued to show up as one of the team’s most visible figures in the community. Just today, he surprised cancer survivor and diehard Islanders fan Tommy Ryan on Fox & Friends, giving the young fan a moment he’ll never forget. Ryan, who credits watching the Islanders with helping him get through a rare leukemia diagnosis and 150 days in the hospital, got a live surprise from his favorite player - and Barzal made it clear how much Ryan’s fight means to him.
Barzal may not have an official letter this season. But nothing about the way he carries himself suggests he needs one to matter in that locker room.
In Other News...
Mathew Barzal Found Unexpected Inspiration During His Injury Comeback
Mathew Barzals road back from a knee injury has been a long one, but an unexpected moment on live television gave the Islanders forward a boost he probably did not see coming. During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Barzal was surprised by Tommy Ryan, a fan whose connection to the team and to Barzal goes back to Ryans hospitalization, when he credited the Islanders for helping him get through leukemia treatment.
The relationship has grown from there, including a previous meeting at UBS Arena, and Ryans presence clearly hit home for Barzal as he continues working his way through recovery. For a player trying to navigate the patience and grind of coming back, finding motivation in the story of a fan who drew strength from him in the first place is a reminder that these ties can run both ways. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Schaefer Is Giving Islanders Fans A Massive Reason To Believe
At 19, Matthew Schaefer is already logging a workload that would be notable for a veteran, let alone a rookie defenseman. The Islanders are trusting him with 25:26 of ice time per game, and even in a role that still leaves him with limited shorthanded duty, his influence has been obvious every night hes on the ice.
The numbers back up what the eye test suggests. Schaefers underlying profile includes a 54.9% expected goals share and 3.52 expected goals for per 60 minutes, markers of a player driving play rather than just surviving it. With that kind of start, it is easy to see why the conversation around him is already stretching far beyond this season and into the kind of upside that can reshape a blue line. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Got The Exact Boost They Needed In A Tight Win
Kyle Palmieri gave the Islanders exactly the kind of lift they had been waiting for in a 3-2 win over the Canucks, scoring twice and finishing the night with the deciding goal. It was the sort of timely contribution New York needed in a tight game, and it came with the added significance of Palmieri continuing to work his way back after ACL surgery, a process the team has been watching closely.
Matias Maccelli also fit neatly into the picture, scoring his first goal as an Islander and helping create the winner after getting moved up to the top line. Head coach Pete DeBoer praised both players afterward, pointing to Palmieris return and Maccellis motivation and performance as encouraging signs for a team looking for more reliable offense when the margins are thin. [Read more 🡒]