Barzal's knee injury opens a second-line door for Calum Ritchie

The New York Islanders have lost Mat Barzal to a knee injury, and while that is obviously a tough blow for the team, it also opens up an opportunity for Calum Ritchie to get a chance to play on the second line.

Ritchie is still trying to establish himself in the NHL, and he wasn't necessarily going to have a clear path to the Islanders' second line with everyone healthy. Now, Barzal's injury could give him a chance to move into a bigger role and show the Islanders what he can do.

Now, let’s get one thing straight: Ritchie isn’t suddenly going to replace Barzal. Barzal is one of the most important players on the Islanders, and losing him leaves a pretty big hole in the lineup. But it does give Ritchie an opportunity to help eat some of the minutes that are now available.

Ritchie needs to make the most of the opportunity

For Ritchie, this could be exactly the kind of opportunity he needs. Young players don't always get a chance to play higher in the lineup right away. But an injury like this can change things pretty quickly. If he can take advantage of the extra minutes, the Islanders could have another option to work with when Barzal eventually returns.

The second line role could be especially important for him. Playing alongside better offensive players like Brayden Schenn and William Eklund, who is also getting a chance to play higher in the lineup. Gives Ritchie a chance to show that he can handle a bigger role at the NHL level while also building trust with the coaching staff, which goes a long way in this league.

There is also the possibility that the Islanders eventually move Ritchie back down the lineup once Barzal returns. That is something he can't really control. What he can control is how he plays while the opportunity is there, and that forces Pete DeBoer to have to make a tougher decision.

If Ritchie performs well, it could make the decision a little harder when Barzal comes back. It could even open the door to playing one of them, or Barzal, on the wing, which would allow him to stay on the second line and move Eklund down to the third. It truly all depends on how he handles this chance and what he can do with it.

At the same time, there is still plenty that Ritchie has to prove. He is still young and just gettiung his first real chance at the NHL, in a top-six role. So, if things don’t work out and he gets moved down when Barzal comes back, it shouldn’t be seen as a failure. Instead, he has shown the coaching staff what he can do, and how he can handle more responsibility in the hardest hickey league in the world. And, that is something that could define his career, whether it is a good outcome or bad.

For now, though, Barzal's injury has opened a door. Ritchie has a chance to step up and make the most of it. Which is exactly what he has been doing early into the Islanders’ season.

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