Mathew Barzal will be out a bit.

During last Saturday's win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders star forward Mathew Barzal blocked a shot off his left kneecap in the dying minutes and left the game.

Barzal's timeframe was initially described as indefinite, but we now have a better estimate. 

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Barzal underwent a "minor procedure" on Thursday to repair his injured kneecap. LeBrun estimated that he would recover in about six weeks:

If Barzal is out for the foreseeable future, the Islanders will have an important choice to make leading up to the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. 

The Islanders have not placed Barzal on long-term injured reserve just yet, so they do not have his $9.15 million to play with until that happens. 

New York has been linked to star center Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, and some cheaper options also remain on the market. 

If general manager Lou Lamoriello believes in the current Islanders to make the playoffs, he may be inclined to add in Barzal's absence. 

While newcomers like Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich, and Adam Boqvist have been welcome additions to the Islanders' depleted defense, the forward core remains largely unchanged.

The Islanders have confirmed the report:

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