Matthew Schaefer vs. Mathew Barzal: Analyzing Who Will Lead NY Islanders in Points

Between Mathew Barzal and Matthew Schaefer, who will lead the New York Islanders in points next season?

Jan 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates with New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders are getting set for training camp soon, with the regular season quickly approaching. As a new regime starts to make its mark on the franchise, who will be the top man for the team is now a serious discussion. 

Following a good 91-point campaign for the Islanders this year, the expectation is going to be that the team is a playoff contender. New York was able to bring in Peter DeBoer right at the end of last year, and that was a move for this coming season and beyond. 

DeBoer has had a lot of success at multiple different spots, and the hope is that he will be taking this team to the next level. While the roster is going to be undergoing some changes after this season with a plethora of veterans on expiring deals, there is reason to be optimistic about the near future for the team. 

One thing that will be interesting to watch is what could be a bit of a friendly competition between Matthew Schaefer and Mathew Barzal in who will lead the team in points. The emerging young star of the Islanders is one of the best young players in the league, and he could be coming for an honor that Barzal held last year for leading the team in points. 

Who Will Lead Islanders in Points?

Apr 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While New York might not be the most prolific team offensively, they do have some talented players, and it will likely be either Barzal or Schaefer who lead the team in points. 

Bo Horvat could be put in the conversation as well, but it was Barzal and Schaefer who came in one-two last year. However, Horvat did miss some time, which surely impacted his overall production numbers. 

Last season, Barzal was able to total 72 points, which led the team by a wide margin of 13. It was Schaefer who came in second with 59 in his rookie season, and what the young defenseman might be able to do in his second year will be interesting to watch. 

After seeing San Jose Sharks star forward Macklin Celebrini take a major step up from his first year to his second year, the hope will be that another top young talent in Schaefer can do the same. 

While he isn’t going to be a 100-point player as a defenseman, he certainly can be close to a point-per-game player if he takes a step forward, and that could be enough to dethrone Barzal as the top point man for the Islanders.