Barzal, Laprade play same game, Fischler says

Legendary hockey reporter and analyst Stan Fischler will write a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com this season. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," will share his knowledge, brand of humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.

When comparing NHL players who excelled in the Original Six era with contemporary stickhandlers, it's important to understand the differences in equipment such as skates, sticks and assorted protective equipment; not to mention the difference in rules.
Skates worn during the 1940s were far different from the high-tech models of today. Sticks were made of wood (usually ash) with perfectly flat blades, and even top players rarely could unleash a shot more than 60 miles an hour. I mention these elements only to point out that my choice from the 1940s,
Edgar Laprade
, might have been a much different player with modern equipment than he was when playing center for the New York Rangers.
Laprade was a hero on the Canadian Senior hockey circuit in the late 1930s. His stickhandling skills were evident when he led the Port Arthur (Ontario) Bearcats to the Allan Cup, the Canadian senior amateur championship, in 1939. He also helped the Bearcats advance to the finals of Allan Cup in each of the four next seasons.
A stickhandling whiz in his own right as a Hall of Fame center with the Rangers, general manager Frank Boucher knew that Laprade would be a sensation in New York. But Laprade had good reason to reject offers from the Rangers; World War II was on, and Laprade joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. When Laprade he was discharged in 1945, he signed with New York and made his NHL debut three weeks after his 26th birthday.
Much as Mathew Barzal with the New York Islanders last season, Laprade became an instant fan favorite. His dogged work ethic earned him the nickname "Beaver," and at the end of his first season he had 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 49 games and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

Over the next three seasons, Laprade anchored New York's first line. He shared the team MVP award with goalie Chuck Rayner in 1948-49; in 1949-50, he had 44 points (22 goals, 22 assists) to lead the Rangers in scoring and won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship combined with proficiency as a player.
Laprade also excelled as a penalty-killer. Watching him in every home game at Madison Square Garden in those years, I can testify that there were times during a penalty kill when Laprade would rag the puck for a minute or more, much to the delight of the Garden faithful. A clean, smart performer, Edgar was assessed all of 42 penalty minutes during his 10-year, 500-game NHL career. On three separate occasions, he did not take a penalty all season, a fabulous achievement in any era.
"I've always felt that he missed the general acclaim he deserved," Boucher said, "because it was Edgar's misfortune never to be cast with a winner."
But Laprade was a winner; that's why, in 1993, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Like Laprade, Barzal's most prominent assets are his superior skating and stickhandling abilities. A star in juniors with Seattle in the Western Hockey League, Barzal was taken by the New York Islanders in the first round (No. 16) in the 2015 NHL Draft. A scouting report in The Hockey News described the native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, this way: "He's poised and speedy when the puck is on his stick." The same could have been written about Laprade 72 years earlier.
Barzal also plays the game the clean way, but he was not as instant a hit for the Islanders as Laprade was for the Rangers. Barzal played two games for the Islanders at the start of the 2016-17 season without scoring a point, then was sent back to Seattle for more seasoning. "In retrospect, going back to juniors was the best thing for me," Barzal said, "because I was able to improve my game and be ready for the NHL the second time around."
The "improvement" was a bit more than sensational. He played all 82 games for the Islanders last season and led them in scoring with 85 points (22 goals, 63 assists), one more than then-captain John Tavares. Barzal led the Islanders in assists and, like Laprade, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. When Tavares signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, the 21-year-old became the No. 1 center for the Islanders.
Having seen Laprade throughout his Rangers career and viewed Barzal from his first games with the Islanders to the present, the feature that impressed me most with Edgar is the same as the one that thrills me watching Barzal -- the ability to retain possession of the puck for a seemingly endless amount of time. Laprade was able to accomplish the feat just as Barzal is doing it now, by combining a total view of the ice with an uncanny ability to predict how plays will evolve.
"Mathew is one of the most exciting players I've seen in a long time," said former NHL goaltender Glenn Resch, now a radio analyst for New Jersey Devils games. "His skating -- stops, starts, twists, turns -- often makes defensemen dizzy. What's more, he loves the challenge and being on center stage."
I was so impressed with Barzal's puck control last season that I suggested to-then coach Doug Weight that he employ him as a penalty-killer in addition to using him at even strength and on the power play. "I don't want to overwork him now," Weight explained, "but that could be an option down the line in his career."
This much is certain: Ever since Barzal brought his dipsy-doodle act to the Islanders, I inevitably watch him in amazement -- and conclude that I'm seeing a latter-day Edgar Laprade.