The New York Islanders got some encouraging news on the injury front Saturday morning, as both Mathew Barzal and Matias Maccelli took part in a full team practice for the first time since going down with injuries.
Barzal, who has been sidelined nearly two months with a flare-up in his left knee, shed his non-contact jersey and skated as a full participant for the first time all season. He had only rejoined the team last week, making Saturday’s step a rapid one in his recovery.
Coach Pete DeBoer stopped short of confirming Barzal would travel with the team to California on Sunday, but a return to game action now appears close for the center.
Maccelli, who suffered a lower-body injury three weeks ago, also returned to full practice participation Saturday for the first time since getting hurt.
“It’s not fun when you have injuries. We have a few injuries: Barzy, ‘Chelly, [Calum Ritchie],” defenseman Matthew Schaefer said. “When your full roster’s healthy, it’s nice. All the boys are rolling, we’re feeling good together. We’re just having fun out there.”
The Islanders did not make Barzal or Maccelli available to reporters. DeBoer said both players would meet with the team’s medical staff following Saturday’s skate to determine whether they would travel with the club.
“It’s all medical doctors,” DeBoer said. “If they have a chance to play, I think that’s part of it. The other part of it is, we have some practice time on the road, real practice time. Even if they can’t play, practicing with us as a group.”
Barzal and Maccelli are not the only Islanders dealing with injuries. Defenseman Ryan Pulock remained in a red non-contact jersey Saturday with an upper-body injury, and forward Calum Ritchie, also dealing with an upper-body injury, has not yet begun skating. Together, the absences have taken a toll on the team during its current homestand.
Following back-to-back losses, DeBoer shuffled his lineup for Saturday’s game against the Devils, moving Ondrej Palat to the second line and Simon Holmstrom to the third, while inserting Emil Heineman on the top line in Holmstrom’s place. Ben Hutton also replaced Scott Mayfield on the third defense pair.
Those changes may prove temporary once Barzal and Maccelli are fully back in the lineup. Their return, along with Ritchie’s eventually, would give DeBoer options he hasn’t had all season — including whether to use Barzal at center or pair him with Bo Horvat on the top line’s wing.
Barzal’s speed could also help address the team’s struggling power play, while Maccelli’s skill would add depth to a top six that has lacked it since his injury. Further down the lineup, the Islanders could end up fielding third and fourth lines that resemble their current second and third lines, since the three injured forwards — Barzal, Ritchie and Maccelli — could form a line of their own.
“Especially when you lose a game or two, you tend to look at [future lineup options] a little bit more,” DeBoer said. “I think we’ve done a good job of staying in the moment and focusing on the group that’s available to us, and playing a good brand of hockey with the guys we have available.”
Still, 15 games into the season, it remains difficult to assess what this Islanders team truly is, given that it has yet to play a single game with one of its best players in the lineup.
