NY Islanders Mathew Barzal out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

The NY Islanders keep on taking hits in the injury department and on Monday morning, they might have taken their biggest. The Isles are already without J.G. Pageau and Josh Bailey and as of Monday morning, we learned they’ll be without franchise forward Mathew Barzal. 

The Islanders announced that Barzal will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. On Saturday against the Boston Bruins, Barzal took a hit against Bruins forward Craig Smith at 6:21 of the first period. Barzal limped off the ice and was looked at by the Islanders training staff before ultimately heading to the Islander locker room. After some time, Barzal emerged from the locker room between whistles to test out whatever had been ailing him, however, he went right back and remained out for the rest of the Islanders' 6-2 loss. 

In 58 games this season, Barzal has pitted 14 goals and 37 assists for 51 points. Before Bo Horvat was in the picture, Barzal was neck-and-neck with Brock Nelson for the lead in points on the Islanders. 

The Islanders were forced to dip into the Bridgeport Islanders roster once again following Barzal’s injury. On Sunday, the Islanders announced that Arnaud Durandeau had been emergency-recalled from the Islanders AHL affiliate and he’s now likely to make his NHL debut in Barzal’s absence. There had been no official announcement on Barzal at the time of Durandeau’s recall, but it was a bit of foreshadowing of the now-confirmed Barzal injury. 

Durandeau has had a solid season for the Bridgeport Islanders in 48 games this year. Durandeau has totaled 13 goals and 33 points. The 24-year-old had a breakout season last year with 37 points in 64 games and is on track to surpass that point total from last season.

The Islanders are set to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins Monday for the second time in three games, and they’ll now do so without their star player, as they will for the next little while. 

After the initial thought was that Barzal's injury is season-ending, the Islanders clarified that Barzal is week-to-week and plan to have him back before the end of the season.