NY Islanders center Mathew Barzal provides transparent injury update

On Monday, the New York Islanders fans got to hear directly from Mathew Barzal, who is representing the organization this week at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas. The dynamic centerman, who missed most of the 2024-25 season due to two serious injuries, said he would be “100 percent ready to suit up if we had a game tomorrow.”

Barzal’s season unraveled after a blocked shot off his kneecap in February ended any hope for a late return, capping a frustrating stretch that included a prior upper-body injury. “It was long, felt like endless hours rehabbing,” he reflected on Clean-Out Day.

Breaking down his current condition, Barzal admitted that while he may not feel truly "back to 100 percent" physically—“that sometimes you potentially never feel”—it doesn’t bother him. “Mentally, I’m at a point now where it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “If I’m feeling great, if maybe one day I am a little sore or whatever, it is what it is. I got six more years left on my contract right now, and I’m fully committed to just doing everything I can to be the best player I can be.”

The team's absence from the playoffs last season was disappointing, not just for the team but for Barzal personally, as he watched from the sidelines while the Islanders went from a seven-game win streak to missing the playoffs. “You miss so many moments... it killed me,” he admitted back in April.

Standing at 0.67 points per game in his limited 30 games played, Barzal enters the new season hungry and cornered by expectations. His front-line leadership by example, especially amidst a roster blending veterans and fresh faces, will be pivotal. The Islanders will need him to find a way to play close to the 100% percent player that averaged better than a point per game in 2023-24.