""Felt good," Barzal said. "It's nice to just get back on the ice in a setting with some high compete and some physicality and five-on-five situations. It's been a while for me, so it was good. I thought the whole group looked pretty solid.""
""He definitely brings that hard-nosed game. He's annoying to be on the ice with from an opponent standpoint. He knows how to check, he's a good skater, and he's got some good scoring touch.""
""He looks great. Obviously a great skater. It's crazy to think he's only 18 years old," Barzal said. "He's going to be one of, if not the best defenseman in the league at some point-just based off his instincts right now. He's got it.""
Training camp moved quickly into five-on-five scrimmages with an emphasis on compete and physicality. Mathew Barzal returned after missing much of last season due to injury and reported feeling good stepping back into high-intensity situations. Barzal skated at his natural center position for the first time since 2023 and showed early chemistry with Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri. Barzal praised Maxim Shabanov for being tough to check and smart, and highlighted Emil Heineman's grit, checking and scoring touch. Barzal offered strong praise for top pick Matthew Schaefer's skating, instincts and long-term potential as an elite defenseman.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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