The Islanders will be without Barzal in the foreseeable future, and it would have been nice if Jefferies had been available to be recalled.
With Mathew Barzal out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, could the New York Islanders turn to anyone in Bridgeport to fill the top-line hole?
One prospect showed this season that he could potentially be a top-six threat down the road.
Alex Jefferies, 23, has eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 35 games this season. However, like the Islanders, the AHL is plagued by injuries, and Jefferies is out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury.
There is no timetable for his return.
Many have been asking about AHL All-Star Brian Pinho, who has been one of the most dominant players in the American Hockey League this season, with 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points in 38 games.
However, Pinho is on an AHL deal, so he is not eligible to be recalled unless the Islanders offer him an NHL contract.
Barzal's injury would have been the perfect time for Jefferies to get his chance instead of the youngster needing to come up and play a bottom-six role to break in, which is not his game.
Are there any other Bridgeport options?
There is, starting with Matthew Maggio.
After showing promise during his first professional season, the 22-year-old has struggled to produce this season. However, he's one of those players like Marc Gatcomb who just goes to work and does the little things.
Maggio's offensive upside is higher than Gatcomb's, and if the Islanders wanted to shift their lineup around to fill Barzal's hole, the Windsor native could excel in a bottom-six role.
The problem is that Engvall has played well lately, and Hudson Fasching is likely really close to returning.
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