The New York Islanders are still waiting for Mathew Barzal, but there’s finally a little movement in the right direction.
Barzal has missed the first three games of the 2026-27 NHL regular season after being shut down before training camp, and he never got into a practice or preseason game. The issue is a knee injury the team wanted fully cleared up before putting him back on the ice. When the shutdown was first announced for a two-week period, the Islanders said it was an aggravation of an existing injury, not a new one.
Now there’s at least a sign of progress. Tyler Millen of NHL.com reported in the preview for the Islanders’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks that Barzal skated on his own Thursday. That kind of solo session doesn’t mean he’s right around the corner, but it does move him another step forward after a long stretch out of action.
Even with that progress, the Islanders will have to ease him back once he’s ready. He’s already missed enough time that a ramp-up period is unavoidable if they want him back in game shape. Earlier this week, when New York played the New York Rangers, it was reported that Barzal could return by the end of October.
And when he does come back, he’s not walking into a fringe role. Players filling in right now may be fighting for their spot, because Barzal is expected to slide right back into a top-six job. Head coach Peter DeBoer recently called him the “most dynamic forward” on the team, and after Barzal put up 72 points in 81 games last season, that label is hard to challenge.
Barzal isn’t the only Islanders regular dealing with a setback, either. Defenseman Alexander Romanov, who had returned from a season-ending shoulder injury last year, is now out for an extended period with a torn ACL. He’s expected to miss 6 to 8 months, though there is an outside chance he could still make it back this season.
In Romanov’s place, Scott Mayfield is expected to step into the No. 3 pairing with Tony DeAngelo. Mayfield has been a healthy scratch in three games so far, but that should change with Romanov sidelined.
In Other News...
Islanders Get Encouraging ESPN Respect But One Name Will Divide Fans
ESPNs latest top-100 NHL player list gave the Islanders a respectable showing, with four names making the cut and enough variation in the placements to fuel debate. Matthew Schaefer, Ilya Sorokin, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal all landed on the board, a sign that the broader league still sees a mix of established talent and upside in New Yorks core.
The headliner for Islanders fans is Schaefer, whose rise into the upper tier should only sharpen expectations around him. Sorokins place near the top of the goalie group also reinforces how valuable he remains after another standout season, while Horvat and Barzal provide the kind of familiar star power that keeps the discussion going. Of course, any list like this comes with at least one ranking that will have plenty of fans arguing the other side. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Finally Got A Varlamov Return They Desperately Needed
Semyon Varlamovs return gave the Islanders a meaningful lift on a night when the result went the other way. Back in an NHL regular-season game against the Rangers for the first time in 676 days, the veteran goaltender looked like someone who could still matter in a hurry, even as the Islanders came up short. For a club that has leaned heavily on Ilya Sorokin, getting Varlamov back into the mix changes the shape of the goalie conversation in a real way.
Peter DeBoer made it clear after the game how significant that comeback is for the Islanders, praising Varlamovs effort and the stability he can provide as the backup. There is still plenty to sort out as he settles back into game action, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: the Islanders finally have a healthy Varlamov again, and that alone gives the team a more credible safety net behind Sorokin. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Suddenly Face A Blue Line Shakeup Before Chicago
A familiar defensive look suddenly got scrambled for the Islanders ahead of their matchup with the Blackhawks, with Alexander Romanov now out after suffering a knee injury. His absence forces another early-season adjustment on the blue line, and coach Peter DeBoer had to rework the pairings at the morning skate before the club could settle into its game plan.
Scott Mayfield appears set to slide into Romanovs spot, with Tony DeAngelo next to him as the Islanders try to keep the back end steady. It is the kind of change that can ripple beyond one night, because Romanov has been a fixture in those minutes and the team now has to manage a sudden gap while waiting for the rest of the defensive rotation to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]