Barzal & Heineman Are Keeping the Islanders Afloat in the Eastern

If you look at the New York Islanders’ injury report right now, logical analysis suggests they should be plummeting down the Eastern Conference standings. It is late December, the holiday roster freeze is in effect, and the team is navigating a stretch that usually separates the contenders from the draft lottery hopefuls without their top center, Bo Horvat.

Yet, a glance at the standings tells a different story. The Islanders are occupying a playoff spot. They aren’t comfortable, and they certainly aren’t dominating, but they are—to use the vernacular of the locker room—”hanging tough.”

The reason the floor hasn’t fallen out from under head coach Patrick Roy’s squad comes down to two specific forwards operating at contrasting points in their careers: the established star forced to carry the load, Mathew Barzal, and the trade acquisition who has rapidly evolved from a depth piece to a top-six necessity, Emil Heineman.

For a team struggling to generate offense, these two have provided the lifeline necessary to keep the season alive.

The Barzal Burden: Elite Production Through the Pain

When Horvat went down, the immediate concern was how the Islanders would replace his two-way stability. The answer from the coaching staff was clear: they wouldn’t replace it by committee; they would put the burden squarely on Barzal.