THUNDERBIRDS
Islanders return Mathew Barzal to Thunderbirds
Nov 9, 2016, 9:40 AM | Updated: 10:00 am
Mathew Barzal returns to the T-Birds after an extended look with the New York Islanders (T-Birds photo)
(T-Birds photo)
The New York Islanders announced Wednesday morning that they would be returning Mathew Barzal to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
#Isles Transaction: Mathew Barzal has been returned to junior (Seattle – WHL).
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 9, 2016
The Islanders kept Barzal on their roster through the preseason and the first 13 games of their regular season, but the Coquitlam, B.C. native only made it into two contests, accumulating just 19:30 of ice time, six penalty minutes, a minus-2 rating, and no points or shots.
After training camp and the preseason, it looked more and more like Barzal might stick around for the entirety of the season, but through the first month of the regular season it became harder and harder for him to crack the lineup on a struggling Islanders team that currently sits second to last in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
While the Islanders felt Barzal’s services weren’t needed this season, his presence on the T-Birds could potentially change the entire landscape of the WHL. He was one of the league’s top offensive threats for one of the league’s best teams last year and should only be better this season.
Barzal, who isn’t eligible to play in the AHL until he’s 20, has 199 points on 53 goals and 146 assists in 161 career WHL contests. Last year, he put up 27 goals and 61 assists in 58 games. In Seattle’s postseason run that saw them reach the WHL Championship, he added 26 more points in 18 games.
Aside from the offensive production, Barzal will allow the T-Birds to restructure their lines and give Steve Konowalchuk tons of flexibility, no matter who they play against. With Barzal back and Keegan Kolesar set to return soon, the Thunderbirds could have the deepest top six – and possibly top nine – forwards in the league. Barzal, Kolesar, and Ryan Gropp were dominant at times over the last couple of seasons, and Nolan Volcan, Scott Eansor, and Donovan Neuls are one of the best two-way lines in the league.
No question Seattle lost some significant pieces from their deep run last year, including their top defensive pairing and starting goaltender, but they also return more than most thought they would with both Gropp and Barzal back in the lineup.
