Mat Barzal

[rataylor22]

Is gud.

[JagrBomb]

Where does he rank in a redraft of the 2015 draft?

Obviously McDavid is still #1. But is Eichel still the undisputed #2?

[rataylor22]

I think so. Barzal obviously wouldn’t be doing this in Buffalo. He’s probably in the conversation at 3 with Boeser, Werenski, and Marner. Positional value probably puts him ahead of the wingers bringing it down to Werenski and Barzal.

[StuntMan12]

BUT .... is he for real? ... lol

Kid is something else. Funny thing is in my keep 6 pts league I turned down an offer of my Tanner Pearson for Matthew Barzal. I ended getting him eventually but it's funny how much of a robber that deal would have been. Gee

[lucafen4]

I think so. Barzal obviously wouldn’t be doing this in Buffalo. He’s probably in the conversation at 3 with Boeser, Werenski, and Marner. Positional value probably puts him ahead of the wingers bringing it down to Werenski and Barzal.

Provorov should be on that list as well.

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To think Barzal went at 17 and Boeser at 24. Button had him ranked at #7. In a redraft, no way he gets past that position.

[Luffy D Monkey]

This guy is out of control it's actually pissing me off. He's way better than Tavares. Give me a break, fantasy hockey.

[Jager's Mullet]

What??? Barzal plays the second line while taveras plays against most teams top line. I have barzal but I wouldn?t go so far to compare him taveras yet

[rataylor22]

Provorov should be on that list as well.

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To think Barzal went at 17 and Boeser at 24. Button had him ranked at #7. In a redraft, no way he gets past that position.

True. I’d probably go Barzal, Werenski, Provorov, Boeser, Marner. Forgot he was that draft.

[Axeman33]

I'll be the first to say I am eating a little crow. I didn't expect him to be this good this early. I expected a lot of ups and downs due to his lack of play without the puck. He's never been a strong defensive player and I thought that would hurt him in the NHL. I never doubted his offensive abilities but his defensive deficiencies are what I expected to make him bounce up and down between the NHL and AHL like a lot of other young kids do. If he still has any defensive disabilities, they get masked by his offensive abilities.

As far as comparing him to his draft year and where he would have gone, it's always easy to look back and say what if. Teams already knew this kid was an offensive dynamo but he did have his flaws to his game too. I'd say he would have been a top five pick for sure. I doubt he would have bumped Eichel at #2.

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I'll be the first to say I am eating a little crow. I didn't expect him to be this good this early. I expected a lot of ups and downs due to his lack of play without the puck. He's never been a strong defensive player and I thought that would hurt him in the NHL. I never doubted his offensive abilities but his defensive deficiencies are what I expected to make him bounce up and down between the NHL and AHL like a lot of other young kids do. If he still has any defensive disabilities, they get masked by his offensive abilities.

As far as comparing him to his draft year and where he would have gone, it's always easy to look back and say what if. Teams already knew this kid was an offensive dynamo but he did have his flaws to his game too. I'd say he would have been a top five pick for sure. I doubt he would have bumped Eichel at #2.

[VincentVega]

No one expected him to be this good this year. No one. This is a huge present to his owners. And he definitely isn't better than Tavares.

[SensArmy93]

Imagine having three opportunities to draft this kid in the first round and not using one of those picks to take a risk on him. Obviously that's in hindsight, but you have to think at least one scout in Boston wanted to draft him.

[rataylor22]

He's by far the best skater in the league. It's no question. A lot of guys judge speed goal line to blue line or whatever, a straight line. But he's crossing over the entire game, winding up, building up speed. Every time we lose the puck in the o-zone, you turn around for a second and I can just see his hair flapping in the wind in front of me and I had to get on my horse and get back...That's the toughest matchup that I've had this year.

Max Pacioretty, on Barzal, who's also played McDavid twice this season and Crosby his whole career.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I'm not saying this because of how well Barzal is playing but I honestly thought the Devils would have taken him at #6. Everyone knew they needed a center, so it was between Barzal or Zacha. The Devils obviously went with Zacha which wasn't a huge surprise - he was big and strong, and he was supposed to be good offensively as well even though his numbers didn't show it.

Then Provorov and Werenski went after him which wasn't a big surprise either since both teams needed a D-man. When he started slipping after that #8 spot, it was sort of difficult to believe it was happening. I knew he wasn't big but when a kid like Marner went 4th, I didn't think Barzal would fall much further.

It's funny to read all the Boston and Edmonton comments whenever Barzal's name is brought up. Even a lot of people who don't follow NHL drafts that closely can understand the context for that, and that's funny.

[SeaDawg]

It is very hard to get a read on just how good Barzal is and will be long-term. He certainly looks unreal out there, and the early numbers are outstanding, but part of me still wants to be cautious about him. We have seen many rookies catch fire and then fall off. I'm not saying Barzal isn't the real deal, but similar to Laine, Nylander, Marner, and Ehlers this season, it is hard for young players to maintain consistent production. All four of the young players I mentioned scored over 60 pts last year, and they are currently on pace for under 60 this year. Barzal could be an exception, after all he is on pace for the most rookie points since Malkin, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if his production slows down considerably as the season goes on. And if Tavares isn't re-signed by the Islanders, I could see Barzal really struggle next year as the team's #1 center (and without Tavares on the PP).

[JagrBomb]

As soon as Barzal inevitably regresses this thread is going to be pretty funny, topped off by that guy who questioned if he was as good as Eichel...