The New York Islanders started the 2024-25 season with a 4-5-2 record through 11 games but will be without multiple key players in the long term. According to the islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, Both Mat Barzal and Adam Pelech will be out for at least a month due to upper body injuries.

Barzal was placed on long-term injured reserve to free up salary cap space for the Islanders, while Pelech was placed on regular injured reserve. Both are expected to be out of action for 4-6 weeks.

Not only were Barzal and Pelech given estimated timelines, but defensemen Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov were also diagnosed with upper body injuries. However, Reilly and Romanov are not expected to be away from the team for that long as they are both on day-to-day duties.

Barzal recently Sent back to Long Island For further evaluation of his injury. On a team not routinely known for scoring goals, Barzal was the offensive leader. He is the top offensive player on Long Island with multiple 80-plus point seasons.

Barzal has recorded 447 points with 130 goals and 317 assists in 510 career games in the NHL. He represented the Islanders in the NHL All-Star Game on three separate occasions.

In 10 games played this season, Barzal scored two goals and three assists, scoring a total of five points. He joins Anthony Duclair as the Islanders’ top forward on the shelf for a long time.

Pelech, meanwhile, is one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL. The 6-foot-10, 210-pound forward has been either face-off or shutout minutes on Long Island since the start of his NHL career.

The removal of Reilly and Romanov from the roster on a day-to-day basis also forced the Islanders to recall Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc from their American Hockey League affiliate.

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