The Islanders are going to be without Mat Barzal for the foreseeable future.
The club announced on Monday that Barzal is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury after leaving Saturday’s win over Tampa in the final minutes, having blocked a shot off his kneecap.
Scott Mayfield, who left the same game after crashing into the end boards, is day-to-day, also with a lower-body injury.
That at least means the Islanders may not be down a fourth defenseman for too long — though it certainly puts Mayfield’s status into question for the three games between now and the 4 Nations break.
As for Barzal, who already missed six weeks with an upper-body injury this season, it’s something bordering on disaster.
After an 80-point campaign in 2023-24 that marked a career season playing alongside Bo Horvat, Barzal has not made enough of an impact when healthy and not been healthy enough this season.
Still, it appeared he was finally getting back into form when the injury happened, with the Islanders’ seven-game winning streak coinciding with coach Patrick Roy reuniting Barzal and Horvat on the top line.
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The Islanders also do not have another player with the sheer skill or skating ability that Barzal brings, and need to make up ground in order to make the playoffs, starting Monday four points off the cut line.
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There were no roster moves announced immediately with the injury news, but if Barzal requires long-term injured reserve, that would peg his earliest return to the March 9 game in Anaheim.
It would also give the Islanders $9.15 million worth of cap relief as long as Barzal is out, perhaps opening the possibility to go big-name hunting at the trade deadline.
