The New York Islanders got a welcome sight at practice as Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock all returned to the ice in red non-contact uniforms.
It came as the Islanders wrapped up a four-day break between games and prepared for their return against the Carolina Hurricanes, a matchup that will also feature the debut of their Hometown Remix uniforms.
For Anthony Duclair, seeing Barzal back around the group was the kind of lift that was hard to miss. He smiled while talking about it with the media and made clear what Barzal means inside the room.
“We all know how much Barzy means to this organization and to the guys in the locker room so seeing him out there with the boys, even just for a little bit today was great,” Duclair said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. “It's going to be a step-by-step process, but we're behind him, we're supporting him, and we're gonna welcome him with open arms as soon as he's ready.”
Barzal also drew praise for how he looked on the ice. During his individual warm-up, he was moving with the kind of pace that stood out to Duclair, who said he made sure to tell him so afterward.
“I told him today I think he looked great out there, even though it was only for a couple drills,” Duclair said. “For a guy that hasn't skated much in the summer he doesn't seem like he's missed too much out there. He's such a good skater, such a good player, a smart player that I think he'll adjust pretty well and pretty quickly.”
This was the first time Barzal had skated with teammates in any capacity in a while. Before training camp, the team announced he would not start skating for at least two weeks, which was the first public indication that he would miss the start of the season.
Now 16 games into the season, Barzal still isn’t ready for game action, but his return to practice gave the Islanders a noticeable jolt heading into a game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes. The energy in the locker room was up with Barzal, Maccelli and Pulock all back around the team.
And when Barzal does get back, the Islanders are expecting a major boost on offense, especially in the way he fits with star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who has taken his game to another level in Year 2 with the team.
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