trim_14028474-D033-4FF6-B654-3A09671C9AFC EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] are slowly but surely getting healthy. After defenseman Adam Pelech (jaw) returned to a team skate on Thursday, the Islanders shared on Friday afternoon that Mathew Barzal was skating on his own. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMjEyMTkwMTgxNTAwNjA1/usatsi_24492449.jpg] Barzal missed his 17th game on Thursday night and has not yet skated with the team since suffering an upper-body injury when he took a hard shot from Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakov in their 2-0 loss on Oct. 31. While Barzal struggled in his 10 games this season, with just two goals and three assists, the Islanders have not been able to fill the void he left. Despite the strong play by Islanders captain Anders Lee, top centerman Bo Horvat has struggled mightily without his dynamic partner. Horvat, who hasn't scored a goal in 13 games, has just two goals since Barzal went out, and the Islanders desperately need Horvat to start burying his chances. Since coming to the Islanders before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, Horvat has been without Barzal for 97 games. ln those games, the former Vancouver Canucks captain has 39 goals and 36 assists. The power play is a mess—they are at 11.1% without Barzal, which is second worst in NHL over that span — struggling to carry the puck into the opponent's zone and set up, which is Barzal's bread and butter. The team has struggled to possess the puck late in games, leading to blown leads, which is something Barzal can help with. The same can be said for the Islanders' lack of possession in overtime, which is why they're 1-6 in games decided in the five-minute extra frame. Anyone who tells you the Islanders are better without Barzal doesn't understand the game. Barzal is currently on long-term injured reserve but is eligible to be activated when he's ready, as long as the Islanders have the necessary salary-cap space. Right now, Barzal's $9.15 million and Anthony Duclair's $3.5 million are not counting against the books. Duclair will likely return before Barzal, as he's been skating on his own for a weeks now. He has missed 22 games.
