Mat Barzal was injured for the New York Islanders in their Saturday evening game against the Florida Panthers. It is the second time Barzal has been injured this season, and he may be unable to return. The injury to Barzal adds to a long list of injuries for the Islanders and gives some other players on the team an opportunity to step up. He is arguably the most valuable and dynamic player on the Islanders. There is belief the Islanders should sell at the approaching trade deadline, should they?
Mat Barzal Injury
Hockey teams are notorious for giving little to no information about injuries. The Islanders are worse than the average hockey team in this regard. All we know for sure about the injury to Barzal is that it is a lower body injury and that he will be out of the lineup for a significant amount of time. He blocked a shot and got hit in an exposed place. Barzal could not put weight on his leg after taking the shot. It looked awful and is.
Statistics and Contract
Barzal is a creative player and a feared scorer. Last season he broke out and averaged a point per game for the second time in his career. That benchmark is the standard for stars in professional hockey and he was rewarded. In the offseason Barzal signed an 8-year $73.2 million contract. He will make $9.15 million this season. He has 20 points in 30 games during this forgettable season.
It has been said that the best ability is availability. Availability has been a problem for the usually reliable Barzal this season. His scoring punch will be sorely missed for a team that struggles to score goals. It does not help that top free-agent scorer Anthony Duclair got hurt early this season. He is back but has a groin injury that has lingered and is negatively affecting his play. The Islanders have little to no other scoring punch. Although Captain Anders Lee does 21 goals and is experiencing a bit of a resurgence this year after scoring only 20 goals last season.
Islanders Injuries
The Islanders have been hit by many injuries this season. The injury Barzal just happens to be recent and severe. Key Defenseman Scott Mayfield is day to day. Defenseman Mike Reilly has been out for an extended period of time with a concussion and heart condition. It was mentioned that this is Barzal’s second injury of the season, and that big time free agent acquisition Duclair has been hampered by a groin injury.
Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is also injured and out. The Islanders are down to their fourth-string goaltender. Key Defenseman Ryan Pulak and Adam Pelech have also missed time this season. The injuries have been catching for the Islanders this year and they are dropping like flies. The Islanders are not deep enough to perform well following these injuries.
Conclusion
The Islanders are facing a tough schedule without their injured superstar. Tonight, they host the Vegas Golden Knights, an elite team in the National Hockey League. Then on Friday, they play at Winnipeg. The Jets have the most points in the NHL. The Islanders wrap up their games before the 4 Nations Cup break with a game at the Minnesota Wild. They emerge from the break on February 23 hosting the Dallas Stars. Two days later they host their rival New York Rangers.
