Islanders: Five MVP’s at the Halfway Point of 2019-20 Season

The New York Islanders have been the beneficiaries of strong play from a number of integral players this season. As we’ve crossed over the 41-game mark of the 2019-20 Islanders season, let’s take a look at five of the team’s MVP’s.

The 2019-20 New York Islanders season is into its second half. Let’s highlight five players who were key pieces to the team’s success in the first half. This list is in no particular order, so have some fun and tell me where you’d place these players, or others, in your team MVP rankings.

1. Mathew Barzal

So I said the list is in no particular order, and it’s not. But if I had decided to make this akin to ranking the team’s MVP’s, Mathew Barzal would come first because he’s just been that important in 2019-20’s first half.

Barzal has consistently been the straw that stirs the drink for these Islanders. The offense runs through him. He leads the team in goals, assists and points (16-18-34). He’s also leading the team in some important advanced stats, like expected goals for, high danger chances for, and penalties drawn. He’s on pace for his first 30-goal season, and he hasn’t even had a consistent set of linemates all season.

2. Brock Nelson

I’d make the argument the Islanders’ three best forwards in 2019-20 have all been centers. Brock Nelson has been one of those centers.

Nelson has been absolutely essential in the top-six this season as he ranks second on the team in goals, assists, and points (15-16-31). But he’s been crucially effective in his role centering the second power-play unit, and Barry Trotz has even entrusted him with some important defensive zone faceoffs on the penalty kill.

Brock is currently on the ballot for the All-Star Last Men In vote, in which the fans are allowed to send one more player per division to the showcase. Even the NHL is recognizing Brock Nelson’s strong play through the first half of the season.

3. Casey Cizikas

If you’re looking at offensive numbers to glean the importance of players for your MVP list, maybe Casey Cizikas is someone who slips under your radar. For me, he’s a top-five MVP candidate on this team.

This video shows a young Cizikas at the 2011 World Junior Championships doing what makes him so important.

How many times this season have we seen Casey do something like this? I can recall a couple of moments like this one off the top of my head, including last night against Colorado. This play embodies what Cizikas does for this team, and it’s what lands him on this list.

The Islanders penalty kill (which is top ten in the league) is one of their core strengths. The Islanders ability to shut down the opposition’s best offensive opportunities -lead by Casey Cizikas – is vital to their defense-first approach.

4. Ryan Pulock

Ryan Pulock’s first half has seen it’s hills and valleys. That said, it’s hard to imagine their defense corps without him and his Swiss Army-like abilities. He’s logged the second-most power play and fourth-most penalty kill minutes on the team among all defensemen.

He leads the team’s defensemen in points and time on ice, and without Adam Pelech going forward it’s hard to see anyone overtaking Pulock’s usage. He’s also third on the team in Fenwick For percentage among defensemen with over 200 minutes played.

Pulock’s hitting and takeaway totals are down this season, but his 74 blocks through 40 games are right on pace with his 2018-19 total.

5. The Goalie Tandem

Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss have had some lulls in their play through the halfway point of the season. The fortunate part is that when one struggles the other seems to pick up the slack. Right now Barry Trotz is running with Varlamov as his starter and Varlamov reward Trotz by shutting out the high powered offense of the Colorado Avalanche.

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But earlier this season it was Greiss who was backstopping the Islanders to wins through his strong play. No matter which way you cut it, the goalies are imperative to this team’s success, and both of them belong on any Islanders MVP list.