Injured New York Islanders Mat Barzal, Anthony Duclair, and Adam Pelech are set to make their returns after missing more than ten games each due to injury. Each has been skating at the Islanders training facility in East Meadow, New York. The Islanders have been hovering near the National Hockey League average points percentage at .500. With all their key injuries, this is impressive. Nevertheless, the Islanders have struggled to score with two-thirds of their top-line injured as well as a key defenseman.
When it rains it pours, and there have been other injuries along the way, including key players. As the Islanders prepared to play a home-and-home series against the Chicago Blackhawks, who are right now one of the worst teams in National Hockey League history, the Islanders are getting healthy. This article will focus on Mat Barzal, Anthony DuClair, and Adam Pelech.
Mat Barzal
Mat Barzal missed his 17th game of the season on Thursday night when the Islanders hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Barzal still has not yet skated with the team since suffering a mysterious upper-body injury when he was hit by a shot from Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Yegor Chinakov in the Islander’s 2-0 loss on October 31.
Before being injured Mat Barzal struggled in his first ten games this season. Barzal had just two goals and three assists. He needs to score more, but his return should help the Islanders. Barzal is elusive and highly skilled, and opposing teams must gameplan for him.
His return from his injury should free up other players on the Islanders because his ice-skating prowess often draws multiple defenders even if he is not scoring. The fact that he is skating on his own is a good sign, but given that he has not yet skated with the team he may not make his return for the next few games. It does not make a lot of sense to rush him back to face the awful Chicago Blackhawks.
Anthony Duclair
On December 10, Forward Anthony Duclair participated first time since suffering a lower-body injury in their 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 19. Duclair was wearing a non-contact jersey, but it was a good sign that he skated with the team. It has been a long time since Anthony Duclair has played for the Islanders.
This is a shame since he was the team’s largest offseason acquisition. He signed a four-year $14 million contract with the Islanders. Duclair is rapidly progressing, and unlike Mat Barzal, could make his return in one of the two games against the Chicago Blackhawks. As a highly skilled player opposing teams need to game plan for him as well.
Adam Pelech
Defenseman Adam Pelech is skating with the team and may also make his return soon. He is also wearing a non-contact jersey in practice. He has missed many games with a jaw injury since taking a puck to the face in the Islanders’ 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct 1. Pelech is now wearing a full face shield and he may never be the same player, though the Islanders would benefit from getting his hard slap shot back in the lineup. The Islanders’ defense corps has been depleted, so the Islanders would like to get the injured Pelech back.
Conclusion
The Islanders need to win their games against a bad Chicago Blackhawks team on December 12 and December 15. It is a home-and-home series against one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League. Getting the injured stars back will add to the depth and enable them to move poor players off of the roster. Anthony Duclair will likely be the first Islander back, then Adam Pelech, then finally Mat Barzal. There is no word on injured Defenseman Mike Reilly, who is lucky to be alive after having heart surgery in November.
