NY Islanders Star Mathew Barzal Suffers Injury Setback

A prior injury has popped back up for Mathew Barzal ahead of training camp with the New York Islanders.

Mar 17, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) skates during the warmup before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders started training camp last week with rookies coming early and participating in some workouts before two scrimmages against the New Jersey Devils.

This week, the veterans will report, moving one step closer to the regular season getting underway. However, there is one veteran who isn’t going to be participating with the Islanders in the early going.

Star forward Mathew Barzal is going to be sidelined for at least two weeks and will not be skating because of a prior injury that has been re-aggravated. The team provided a statement on its official X account.

“Mathew Barzal will not skate the next two weeks due to aggravation of a prior injury that has caused some inflammation. 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. We expect him to continue getting healthy and back in the lineup as soon as possible.”

Islanders could be without Mathew Barzal to start season

Mar 21, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is never good for a player to miss the start of team activities in training camp because of a prior injury. Especially since this is the first training camp under head coach Peter DeBoer, where he will be implementing new systems and schemes on the ice.

Barzal is going to be a major part of the team’s game plan, locked into a top-six role. There is still some debate about whether or not that will come as a center or a winger, but whatever position DeBoer asks him to play, the focus will be on extracting as much production out of him as possible.

Barzal is an elite playmaker, but the team would certainly benefit from him being a little more aggressive looking to shoot and score himself. It will be up to DeBoer to get his star into positions to capitalize on more than just racking up assists.

An update on #Isles forward Mat Barzal ahead of training camp.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 16, 2026

Hopefully, this is something they can figure out and get healed up to 100 percent and isn’t going to linger heading into the start of the season.

The two-week timeline is going to put him on a time crunch to be ready for the regular season opener, which is scheduled for Sept. 30 on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs. If he isn’t skating for two weeks, there won’t be any time for him to ramp up his activity in preparation for what would be required from him for a regular season contest.

This will be the biggest storyline to keep an eye on over the next two weeks, as it could open up a spot for a youngster such as Cole Eiserman to be active on opening night if Barzal isn’t ready.