Islanders' Barzal week-to-week due to injury, expected back this season

Mathew Barzal will miss at least a week due to what the New York Islanders are calling a lower-body injury, the club announced Monday.

The Islanders initially said Barzal would be out indefinitely before clarifying the recovery timeline is week-to-week and the plan is for him to return by the end of the season, according to the New York Post's Ethan Sears.

The 25-year-old was hurt Saturday when Bruins forward Craig Smith drove him into the boards with what appeared to be a knee-on-knee hit in the first period of Boston's 6-2 win. Barzal left the game and didn't return.

Hit on Barzal that sent him to the room pic.twitter.com/OCm6alSYmM

- Rob Taub (@RTaub_) February 18, 2023

Barzal entered Monday leading New York with 37 assists and ranking second on the squad with 51 points in 58 games this season.

He's in his seventh campaign with the Islanders, who drafted him 16th overall in 2015.

New York pushed its chips in for a playoff push by acquiring Bo Horvat in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 30. The Isles then signed the ultra-productive center to an eight-year contract extension Feb. 5. However, New York has won only one of its last five games, going 1-2-2 in that span. While the Isles do occupy the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, the Washington Capitals sit one point back with a game in hand.

Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.