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...
Blackhawks Suddenly Have A Teuvo Tervinen Problem
Patrick Kanes return has given the Blackhawks a little extra buzz heading into this stretch, but it has also created a lineup squeeze that is hard to ignore. With Chicago trying to sort out where everyone fits, one of the more notable ripple effects is the way the forward group is being pushed into uncomfortable decisions, especially for a player like Teuvo Tervinen who has long been part of the conversation in this market.
The tension now is less about Kanes arrival than about who gets left out when the lineup is finalized. Tervinen has been in the middle of that uncertainty as the Blackhawks balance experience, roles and ice time, and it is the kind of roster call that can say plenty about where a team thinks it is headed. For a fan base that already knows what Kane brings, the more immediate question is how Chicago manages the pieces around him without creating a bigger problem elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Opener Raised An Early Question Fans Cant Ignore
The Blackhawks opened their 2026-27 season on the road at T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the lineup looked every bit like a team still sorting out its identity. Chicago leaned on a mix of regulars and familiar names while also juggling scratches and special teams combinations, with the kind of early-season details that tend to matter more than the final score line in October. Even in a 5-2 loss, there were enough moments to show how this roster is trying to settle in.
Jordan Greenway gave Chicago its first goal of the season, and the Blackhawks also got a score from Patrick Kane in his first game back with the club since 2023, which at least gave the opener some energy before Vegas pulled away. The bigger question now is how quickly Chicago can turn those individual bright spots into something more stable, because the opener did not exactly hide the gaps in structure, discipline, or depth that can show up fast once the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks May Already Be Testing Roman Kantserov For A Bigger Role
Roman Kantserov arrived in Chicago with a reputation built in the KHL, where he finished as the leagues leading goal-scorer, and the Blackhawks have already treated him like more than a newcomer easing into NHL life. He has spent time on the top line, and the team has also been willing to move him around, including a look at center during the preseason, a sign they are trying to find out how much he can handle right away.
Jeff Blashill has pointed to Kantserovs hockey IQ, two-way play and adaptability as traits that could help him become a solid piece for the Blackhawks. The bigger question now is how far Chicago wants to push that experiment, and whether the early testing is simply part of the learning curve or the start of a much larger role in the middle of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]