Add The New York Post on Google The Islanders will open training camp without Mat Barzal — and it looks like the season as well.
Barzal won’t skate for the next two weeks after aggravating a prior injury, causing inflammation, the Islanders announced on the eve of training camp.
Given that opening night in Toronto is Sept. 30, exactly two weeks from Wednesday, and that beginning to skate does not equate to returning to play, it seems that he will miss time to start the year as well, though how much is not clear.
Mat Barzal will be sidelined two weeks with an injury and could miss the start of the Islanders’ season. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST “He is actively working to get back to full health. There is nobody more committed than Mathew to getting his body to the level where he thrives on the ice,” the Islanders said in a statement. “We expect him to continue getting healthy and back in the lineup as soon as possible.”
While Barzal played 81 games last year and was never injured enough to miss games, he dealt with issues behind the scenes related to a kneecap problem that required surgery, ending his 2024-25 season.
“Obviously with my injury there was stuff all year that I had to work through,” Barzal said on breakup day. “But every second of my day, really, off days or when we weren’t playing was just about managing my body. That’s just how I am.
On the ice from Long Island Sign up for Inside the Islanders by Ethan Sears, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.
“Injuries like I had usually take a year or two years to really start to settle in and feel normal again. I definitely had my own program of staying healthy. I could have played every game this year.”
The Islanders did not indicate in their statement whether this is related, and a team spokesman didn’t respond to a text asking.
Barzal initially committed to play for Team Canada at World Championships last spring, but pulled out in what Hockey Canada said was “a precaution due to a minor, preexisting injury.” At that time, the Islanders released a statement saying Barzal was expected to be ready for camp.
The nature of that injury was undisclosed as well, making it unclear whether it was related to his knee.
