As the star forward nears his return from injury, the Islanders face a complex roster crunch involving waiver risks and strategic defensive moves before opening night.
On Sunday, the New York Islanders told us that forward Mathew Barzal, who missed the entirety of training camp, will return to skating soon.
Barzal, 29, was shut down for two weeks after aggravating a lingering knee injury that caused inflammation.
While PuckPedia currently lists him on Injured Reserve, here's some clarity on the situation.
Per the team, Barzal is on something called Injured Non-Roster, which means he didn't pass his physical but can be activated at any time and play the same day.
But there's a caveat to this.
Right now, because Barzal is on Injured Non-Roster, they can carry the 23-player maximum.
So, although Barzal can return and play whenever he's ready, the Islanders would need to make room on the roster.
The easy route, if the Islanders don't want to risk losing someone on waivers, is to send forward Victor Eklund down, since he is waiver-exempt. However, that doesn't seem likely, especially given the fact that the Islanders are currently carrying eight defensemen.
With the signing of left-side defenseman Logan Stanley on Sunday to a one-year, $1.5 million deal, one should expect defenseman Matt Kessel to hit waivers the day before the Islanders plan to activate Barzal.
The Islanders open their season on Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, so the latest someone can be waived to create the roster spot is Tuesday at 2 PM ET.
