Andrew Gross: Islanders coach Pete DeBoer should put Mathew Barzal back at center
The Islanders' Pete DeBoer, left, and Mathew Barzal. Credit: Howard Schnapp; Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Pete DeBoer is forming his thoughts on Mathew Barzal’s best value to the Islanders.
We already have ours.
They might even align.
For his first two days running practice as the new Islanders coach, DeBoer has used Barzal, a natural center, back in the middle. Sometimes. Other times, Brayden Schenn is running pivot on the second line as the two easily switch spots.
How that works when the Islanders begin a season-ending four-game homestand against the Maple Leafs on Thursday night at UBS Arena, looking to snap a season-high four-game losing streak and 3-7-0 skid that cost Patrick Roy his job, will be unveiled at faceoff.
But as DeBoer tries to tweak the offensive system to meet his aggressive approach, it seems only logical to have the elite skating, need-the-puck-on-his-stick Barzal back at center.
Newsday asked DeBoer following Tuesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow whether he had started to develop an opinion on how Barzal best served the Islanders.
“Yeah, I don’t know that yet,” DeBoer said. “My initial reaction watching Mat from the other bench is everybody is looking for that type of speed in the middle of the ice. The fact that he’s played both, that he can play both, is a great thing. Coming back from the Olympics, out of the 14 or 15 forwards we [Team Canada] took, most of them were centermen. You’ve got to be able to move around and play different roles. That speed through the middle of the ice is really dangerous and the good teams all have that.”
Barzal had been nothing but a center until Bo Horvat was acquired from the Canucks on Jan. 30, 2023. Former Islanders coach Lane Lambert, no doubt after “consultation” with former president/general manager Lou Lamoriello, put Barzal on Horvat’s wing.
The two quickly showed good chemistry together and the belief here is that the Islanders’ best lineup features the two of them together.
Roy tried putting Barzal back at center to start training camp, then tried putting Horvat and Barzal back together. Neither stuck permanently and Roy separated Barzal from Horvat for a final time to place him with Schenn three games after the latter was acquired from the Blues on March 6.
But if Barzal is not going to skate with Horvat, it’s probably best to use him as a top-six center.
“No conversation,” Barzal said about DeBoer having him take some line rushes at practices as the center with Schenn on the wing. “It’s just how it was. I like both, to be honest with you. I like being down the middle, maybe a little more speed underneath the puck. I also like being on the wing and being able to maybe be ahead of the play a little bit sometimes and create some offense off the breakout and on entries.
“I think my heart, as a player, is probably down the middle of the ice because it allows me to do a lot of things. But I really like my time on the wing and I think it’s actually helped me as a player.”
Still, perhaps DeBoer should listen to Barzal’s heart.
“I’ve got to get to know the group,” DeBoer said. “We have a book of analytics on combinations and guys that have played well together and haven’t played well together. There’s value in some of that for sure. But it’s also me getting to know the group. I don’t know them. I’ve been coaching in the West for 10 years. I’m trying to get up and running as quickly as I can.”
Barzal leads the Islanders with 51 assists and 70 points and has played 77 of the 78 games, his lone absence coming for disciplinary reasons after coming late to the morning skate before a 6-2 loss in Carolina on Oct. 30. He has quelled any fears his skating would be affected after suffering a season-ending left knee injury on Feb. 1, 2025.
Does DeBoer have to definitely decide quickly whether Barzal is a center or wing? Yes and no. Barzal and Schenn have almost an unspoken understanding of how to switch roles mid-shift and with a very clear understanding Schenn is the preferred option to take faceoffs.
But it would be good for general manager Mathieu Darche’s roster planning to go into the offseason knowing whether DeBoer planned to open training camp with Barzal in the middle — again, our choice if he’s not skating with Horvat — or on the wing. Also, top prospects Victor Eklund and Cole Eiserman are wings so having Barzal in the middle could open spots for them.
It sounds like DeBoer is leaning that way.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
