Not on an NHL roster · Center · Shoots R

Mathew Barzal

Age 29 · 6'1" · 190 lb · Born in Coquitlam, CAN

Cap hit

$9.15M

8.8% of $104M cap

Term

5 yrs

Through 2030-31, then UFA

Clause

M-NTC

22-team no-trade list

Surplus value

—

arrives with the trade tools

Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source

2025-26 regular season

Goals

10.3% shooting

Assists

31 primary

Points

0.89 per game

TOI/GP

20:39

PP 3:28 · PK 0:02

xGF%

51.6

5v5, -10.3 vs. last yr

Game Score

+0.04

per game, goals above average

Faceoff %

39.8

210 W · 318 L

Plus/minus

+10

Blocks 50 · Hits 29

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

Game	A	SOG	BLK	TOI	PP	PK	FO	OZS%	GV	TK	+/-	GS
Apr 14 vs CAR · L 2-1	1	3	0	19:55	2:24	0:00	1-3	25	4	1	+1	+0.02
Apr 12 vs MTL · L 4-1	0	4	1	22:40	3:06	0:00	0-1	75	1	0	-1	-0.21
Apr 11 vs OTT · L 3-0	0	1	1	22:49	7:09	0:00	1-2	100	0	1	-1	+0.01
Apr 9 vs TOR · W 5-3	1	4	1	21:36	5:29	0:00	0-4	83	1	0	0	+0.02
Apr 4 @ CAR · L 4-3	1	2	2	16:30	1:14	0:00	—	25	1	0	-2	-0.27

GS = our Game Score, goals above average. FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.

Advanced metrics

5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,228 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards

xGF%51.6%

68th percentile

Relative xGF%+5.8

94th percentile

HDCF%48.8%

49th percentile

CF%51.6%

72nd percentile

Relative CF%+3.8

88th percentile

FF%51.7%

72nd percentile

GF%54.7%

74th percentile

CF/6063.0

83rd percentile

CA/6059.1

37th percentile

ixG/601.13

66th percentile

Goals above expected-4.2

11th percentile

IPP58.6%

32nd percentile

PDO100.8

64th percentile

OZS%61.7%

77th percentile

xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.

Play styleElite playmaking center

Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26

Barzal orchestrates offense through elite passing and transition play, using his speed to generate rush chances and create high-danger chances. His game is built on skill rather than physicality or defensive grit, which limits his two-way impact.

Elite playmakerRush creatorOffensive catalyst

Shooting volume: 70
Playmaking: 91
Zone entries(est.): 7
Forechecking: 28
Physicality: 10
Defensive impact: 21
Puck management: 48
Speed: 79

Where he shoots from

Slot 39% · Mid-range 39% · Perimeter 22%(283 unblocked shots)

Strengths

Playmaking elite at 91st percentile, generating 53 assists in 81 games
Speed in the 79th percentile fuels transition game and rush chances
Shooting volume above 70th percentile despite not finishing in slot often

Watch-outs

Zone entry creation well below average at 7th percentile suggests difficulty generating clean offense
Physicality in just 10th percentile means he won't impact play through contact
Forechecking in 28th percentile means limited puck recovery at opponent's end

Similar style: Jake Guentzel (TBL), Tage Thompson (BUF)

Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.

Where his Game Score comes from

2025-26 · 81 GP · goals above average

Season total +3.2 goals, or +0.04 per game.

Even strength offense: +2.1
Even strength defense: -1.3
Power play: -0.4
Penalty kill: +0.1
Finishing: -4.0
Playmaking: +5.7
Penalties: +2.1
Faceoffs: -1.1

Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.

By season

Regular season

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	SOG	TOI/GP	FO%	GS/GP
2025-26	NYI	81	19	53	72	+10	184	20:39	39.8%	+0.04
2024-25	NYI	30	6	14	20	+10	78	20:21	42.3%	+0.03
2023-24	NYI	80	23	57	80	-4	240	20:08	43.0%	+0.16
2022-23	NYI	58	14	37	51	+5	139	18:43	35.6%	+0.06

Sentiment & chatter

Fans

—

Beat writers

—

Media

—

Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.

Age curve

How players at his position age, and where his contract falls on that curve, arrives with the trade tools.

Skating · NHL EDGE

2025-26, as of Oct 2

Top speed: 22.5 mph; 63rd pct
20+ mph bursts: 313
Hardest shot: 83.9 mph; 43rd pct
Distance: 274.3 mi
OZ time: 45.4%; 89th pct
DZ time: 37.8%