The New York Islanders are waiting on Mathew Barzal, and the earliest signs of progress point to a return that may not be far off.
General manager Mathieu Darche told reporters, including Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters, that he “hopes Barzal will be back on the ice skating this weekend/early next week,” adding that Barzal is usually able to get back to game readiness without needing a long stretch of practices. The Islanders believe that once he’s skating again, his comeback to the lineup could come shortly after.
That still leaves Barzal out for the start of the season. New York opens its 2026-27 schedule tonight in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, and Barzal will not play.
He also looks certain to miss Saturday’s home opener against the New Jersey Devils. The current target appears to be Tuesday night, when the Islanders visit the New York Rangers.
With Barzal unavailable, the Islanders have slid top prospect Calum Ritchie into the spot expected for Barzal on the second line with veteran center Brayden Schenn. Barzal, a natural center, has been playing more on the wing lately, and that is expected to remain the case once he returns from his knee injury.
Around the league, Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said defenseman Olen Zellweger will not be available for tomorrow’s season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Zellweger entered concussion protocol on Sept. 23, though he has not been ruled out for Buffalo’s home opener Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sabres brought in the 23-year-old from the Anaheim Ducks over the summer partly to help fill the void left by Bowen Byram, whom they sent to Chicago.
Chicago, meanwhile, will be without Andrew Mangiapane for at least its next two games because of a lower-body injury, according to Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times. Mangiapane appears to have been hurt on his first shift of the second period in last night’s season-opening loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He will miss tomorrow’s game against the Utah Mammoth and Saturday’s matchup in Buffalo.
Mangiapane started the season on Chicago’s second line with Tyler Bertuzzi and top prospect Anton Frondell. The 30-year-old winger, who once scored 35 goals with the Calgary Flames, has been with several teams since leaving Calgary and joined the Blackhawks from the Edmonton Oilers as part of the March trade that brought Jason Dickinson to Edmonton.
In Other News...
Former Sabres Just Revived A Brutal Question For Buffalo
The first night of the 2026-27 NHL season served up an uncomfortable reminder for Buffalo, with a cluster of former Sabres immediately making an impact elsewhere. Jordan Greenway got on the board for the Chicago Blackhawks, JJ Peterka scored for the Boston Bruins, and Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson each found the net for the Vegas Golden Knights, a sharp start that put a familiar ex-Sabres problem back in focus.
For Buffalo, the bigger issue is not just that these players moved on, but that they wasted no time looking at home in their new sweaters. Eichels and Olofssons goals came in Vegas, while Greenway and Peterka added theirs in separate debuts that only deepened the sense that the Sabres are still carrying around the same old question about talent development and what happens after players leave Western New York. [Read more 🡒]
Jessica Pegula Just Opened A New Buffalo Sports Conversation
Jessica Pegula spent part of a CNBC Sport interview looking past the baseline and into the next chapter, and for Buffalo fans it was hard not to hear the bigger implication. The tennis star, who has long been tied to one of the citys most prominent sports families, made it clear she has an eye on staying in the sporting world once her playing days are done.
What made the comment resonate locally is where that future could lead, even if nothing is imminent. Pegula said she may help her family run the Bills after her tennis career ends, a thought that naturally invites fresh conversation about how deeply the Pegula familys influence could continue to shape Buffalo sports, and in what role she might eventually fit. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Quinn Already Has Major Stakes In Buffalos Fast Start
Buffalos fast start has only sharpened the attention on Jack Quinn, who enters the season with more than just another step in his development at stake. The Sabres have plenty of young skill up front, but Quinn sits in a particularly important spot because his current deal expires after the season, making every productive night part of a larger conversation about where he fits in the teams long-term plans.
Quinn showed last season that he can handle a bigger role, and the Sabres are clearly counting on him to keep building from there. Elsewhere on the roster picture, Mattias Samuelsson is still working his way back and has not been ruled out for the opener, while Olen Zellweger remains in concussion protocol. The organization also added some veteran depth on the blue line, with AHL affiliate Rochester bringing in Zack Hayes on a professional tryout. [Read more 🡒]