Knee inflammation sidelines the star playmaker for the season opener, forcing New York to lean on youth while tracking a potential return to skating this weekend.
TORONTO -- Forward Mathew Barzal won't play for the New York Islanders when they battle the Toronto Maple Leafs for their first game of the regular season.
There's no official timeline for the 28-year-old forward who missed all of training camp due to aggravating his left knee, which caused inflammation stemming from his 2025 injury.
The expectation was that he'd be able to get on the ice prior to Wednesday's season-opener, but that wasn't the case.
“Last week, he had really, really good progress. We hope maybe by the weekend or early next week at the latest he gets back on the ice," Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said on Wednesday morning. "He’s with us on the trip.
"Mathew Barzal is not a guy who needs three weeks to get ready. You give him a few practices, and he’ll be good to go."
Getting on the ice is one thing. Staying on the ice is another.
“Once he gets on the ice, it’s about making sure there’s no inflammation afterward," Darche said. "That’s why we took a step back, to make sure we settled it down before he keeps going.”
Cal Ritchie, 21, will hold down the fort as the second-line center until Barzal can return.
Before rosters were due on Monday, Barzal was placed on Injured Non-Roster. He can be activated whenever he is ready.
The Islanders, who are rostering 23 players without Barzal, would have to make a roster move to add Barzal to the squad.
