Barzal notched an assist and four shots on goal in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Ducks.
Barzal handled the third-line center job in the absence of Jean-Gabriel Pageau (lower body). In his season debut, Barzal logged 16:21 of ice time and won eight of his 12 faceoffs. The 29-year-old missed the first quarter of the campaign due to a knee injury, but his debut was promising. With the Islanders' impressive center depth this season, Barzal will ultimately end up playing on the wing or sharing center duties with another pivot. He should also rise into the top six and a spot on the first power-play unit once he's up to speed.