The New York Islanders missed the playoffs last year, partly due to a bevy of injuries. Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson, and Anthony Duclair all missed significant time. But there was no injury more impactful than Mathew Barzal, who played only 30 games before going down for the season. For 2025-26, the Islanders X-Factor is Barzal coming off the injury, not top-line center Bo Horvat.
Barzal blocked a shot on February 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which hit his knee and required surgery. He said recently that he felt like he had a good offseason and was ready to begin training camp. Barzal played in the Islanders' first preseason game, playing over 22 minutes. The health should not be a concern as the season begins.
The Islanders made a trade at the 2025 NHL trade deadline that will require Barzal to play center once again. He started his career on the wing and bumped to the wing when Horvat came over in 2022. But with Brock Nelson on the Colorado Avalanche, Barzal will need to play center this year.
To start training camp, Barzal's wingers have been Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee. Both veterans have 30-goal seasons under their belts and have been with the Islanders for a long time. That should make Barzal's transition back to center a bit easier. Horvat has been stapled with rookie Maxim Shabanov and veteran Jonathan Drouin in camp so far.
The Islanders' successful years had Nelson and Barzal dominating down the middle, deep into the postseason. Horvat and Barzal need to recreate that magic for New York to sneak into the playoffs this year. There is proof that Barzal can do it, but the knee injury is a reason to be concerned. He is the X-Factor for the Islanders' 2025-26 season.
The Islanders need to improve on offense
When John Tavares left and Barry Trotz was hired in the 2018 offseason, the Islanders did not have an identity. Trotz quickly made their identity stifling defense, which brought them to two semi-finals. But since then, they have not been able to score at an elite level. And with the core of those defenses, Pelech and Pulock, getting older, they need to score.
The Islanders did not improve much in the offseason, with Shabanov and Drouin as the biggest additions. They had no 30-goal scorers and no 60-point scorers in 2024-25, which needs to change for them to make the postseason. Barzal was not on pace for either plateau before his injury, proving even more that he is the X-Factor.
The Islanders will put Barzal with two of their power wingers, who do not bring much speed to the table. That could be an interesting combination, but it does not match his best winger pairing. Jordan Eberle and Anthony Beauvillier were the strongest pairings. They brought speed to the table to join Barzal on the rush, which Lee and Palmieri will not bring.
The Islanders cannot afford to kick Barzal back to the wing at any point in the season because of their current roster. They do not have an extra center to deploy if Barzal struggles defensively. Even their top forward prospect, Cole Eiserman, is a winger in college and won't be playing the pivot in the pros.
The Islanders can sneak into the playoffs in a weak Eastern Conference. But they need a great offensive season from Mathew Barzal to get it started. Ilya Sorokin returning to form and Matthew Schaefer having a dominant rookie season on the blue line are other factors that could send the Islanders to the postseason.
Will Barzal lead the Islanders in points this year? Will he finally reach 25 goals and 100 points, neither of which he has clinched in his career?
