Nation Network Prospect Profiles: #8 Mathew Barzal

Matthew Barzal is an offensive forward with very good skating abilities. Has tremendous puck-handling and is poised with the puck, while looking for the perfect pass-option using his strong vision. Owns an excellent wrist shot with a remarkable release. Barzal reads the plays well, looking for interceptions and is not afraid to block shots, playing a reliable two-way game. A complete player with strong hockey sense.

Strong with the puck and exudes a great confidence when he has it. He’s quick but never hurried in his approach and because of his patience and poise he can break down defences and create grade ‘A’ scoring chances. With an improved willingness to shoot, he becomes that much more dangerous.

Mathew Barzal is a game-breaking playmaker for the Seattle Thunderbirds…has no issue beating the opposition in a number of different ways offensively…features well above-average acceleration and top-end speed…possesses dynamic edge work which allows him to change direction quickly and go east-west at the drop of a hat…carries the puck with speed, poise and confidence…will take advantage of soft gaps if a defence gives it to him but will beat you wide if you try to play him too tight…would categorize him as an elusive player who subsequently doesn’t take a lot of physical contact…is tough to handle on the cycle due to his high-end stickhandling ability and slippery nature…protects the puck well when in tight areas and along the wall but could definitely use a few more notches of strength to his upper body…will be even tougher to slow down once he adds more weight and power to his lower body as well…can make plays at top speed but also has the ability to slow the game down…makes the players around him better with absolutely elite-level passing ability and vision…I’ve said his vision may be second to only Connor McDavid in this draft… can make adept plays both on the forehand and backhand including the ability to elevate pucks and land them in tight spots, adding a unique element to just how hard he is to stop in the playmaking game…has extremely good hands and the ability to stick-handle in tight spaces…as I’ve alluded to, he’s definitely a playmaker more than a scorer…despite being more of a passer he still possesses a hard shot with a snappy release…would be a guy that needs to shoot the puck more as he tends to try and make that extra pass from time to time instead of wiring it…when he does shoot, he’s dangerous and if he can put more pucks on net I wouldn’t doubt he has 30 goal potential at the NHL level during his peak years…wouldn’t list hockey sense as any form of a concern especially on the offensive side of the puck…a smart player positionally and is comfortable being the number one guy for a WHL franchise…plays with a good motor and doesn’t take many shifts off…seems to be somewhat inconsistent in his desire to always go to tough areas and to drive hard lanes consistently but it’s a small complaint and I don’t see it holding him back much going forward…I wouldn’t call him a physical player and he doesn’t have a ton of feistiness to his game…like most players his age he must continue to work on his defensive game, although he has a strong set of instincts away from the puck…his noted motor also transfers fairly well to the defensive side of the puck, as do his stick skills…is a bit of a puck thief…has been used in penalty killing situations as a member of the Thunderbirds and should maintain that ability as he climbs the pro hockey ladder…has been the Thunderbirds number one centre for the past two seasons and obviously the key pillar on their powerplay…his most common linemate in the second part of the season in 2014-15 was Roberts Lipsbergs as they played 22 of Seattle’s final 27 regular season games together…he also spent plenty of time with Ryan Gropp on his left side…he missed over two and a half months of action during the middle of the year with a broken kneecap after injuring it while wrestling with a teammate.