Mathew Barzal is one of the NHL’s most creative playmakers—a dynamic skater known more for dazzling setups than pure goal scoring. Despite his elite puck handling and vision, the New York Islanders All-Star has topped 20 goals in a season only twice in his career: 22 in his Calder Trophy-winning 2017–18 rookie season and a career-high 23 goals in 2023–24. Since then, he’s scored just 14 goals in 58 games in 2022–23 and 6 in 30 games during an injury-shortened 2024–25.
This gap between talent and goal totals has raised questions among fans about why Barzal doesn’t shoot more. The answer, according to Barzal himself, comes down to hockey IQ and understanding how elite goalies operate.
“In practice, you come down with no defenders, no traffic—shoot on Ilya Sorokin or one of these NHL goalies. People think, ‘Oh, it’s a grade-A chance…’Dude, that shot in practice with no traffic in front goes in maybe two of ten times—maybe.,” Barzal explained on the Fore Play podcast. “Guys go in practice without scoring on some of these goalies, man. You can’t just walk in and shoot and score.”
Barzal later emphasized that the quality of a shot often depends on deception and movement: “If I can sell shot and pass, that has a better chance of going in, right?” Barzal isn’t blind to the calls for more shots. “I do think there’s a nice balance. Maybe I can shoot more, but it’s not easy. That’s my game. I love to pass. I love to control the puck. People tell me I should shoot more — and trust me, I’m looking to shoot.”
In 2023–24, he registered a career-high 240 shots, finishing with 23 goals and 80 points. But for Barzal, offense has always been about timing, space, and decision-making—not forcing a puck through a 6’6″ goalie without traffic or movement. Over nine seasons, Barzal has posted 134 goals and 328 assists in 530 games—totaling 462 points. His game is built on facilitating others, not chasing individual goal numbers.
While fans might clamor for him to shoot more, Barzal remains committed to making the right hockey play—even if it means hearing “Shoot!” from the stands a few more times.