Mat Barzal’s fall camp timetable has hit a snag before it even begins.
The Islanders announced Wednesday afternoon that the 29-year-old forward will be out for the next two weeks because of “aggravation of a prior injury,” a stretch that covers the full length of New York’s 2026 training camp. That leaves his status for the start of the 2026-27 season up in the air.
“Mathew Barzal will not skate the next two weeks due to aggravation of a prior injury that has caused some inflammation,” the Islanders shared in a statement on Wednesday. “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,” the update continued. “We expected him to continue getting healthy and back in the lineup as soon as possible.”
Barzal was the Islanders’ leading scorer in 2025-26, finishing with 72 points on 19 goals and 53 assists in 81 games. He played in 81 of 82 regular-season games, but that durability now gives way to a fresh concern heading into the new year.
The injury history here is hard to ignore. In 2024-25, Barzal was limited to 52 missed games while battling multiple injuries, including a broken kneecap in February that ended his season.
Barzal has spent his entire pro career with the Islanders since being selected No. 16 overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. Before turning pro in 2017, he starred over parts of four seasons with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. The Coquitlam, B.C. native has never played an AHL game, and he announced himself in the NHL by winning the Calder Trophy in 2018 after putting up 85 points in 82 games for New York.
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