Mathew Barzal; The Gift That Keeps on Giving

As the New York Islanders reach their holiday break, right after Mathew Barzal records his first NHL Hat Trick in their 5-2 victory over the Jets, we reflect on why Mathew Barzal is the gift that keeps on giving.

When the New York Islanders selected Mathew Barzal with the 16th pick of the NHL Draft, nobody was expecting him to be as good as he is now, but boy is he proving the doubters wrong. Time and time again, Barzal has come up big for the New York Islanders, including a 5 assist game against the Colorado Avalanche (a New York Islanders rookie record) and the aforementioned hat trick from tonight (the first New York Islanders hat trick since Michael Grabner… yeah, that guy…)
Mathew Barzal now looks to be the Calder trophy favorite, tallying 35 points in 36 games at the time of the NHL’s three-day holiday break, and New York Islanders fans could only hope he keeps playing at the amazing pace he has been playing at. Barzal is also one of the best skaters in the league, as a rookie, and also draws more penalties than anyone else in the league, AS A ROOKIE.
His hockey IQ is second to none, it’s almost as if he’s been playing in the league for years, but he’s only getting better.