It wasn't just the calendar changing over as 2025 has provided a huge resurgence for the New York Islanders as they put together an extended winning streak and seem to have solved their woes on the penalty kill and closing out wins. Lou Lamoriello is also looking like a genius as his reinforcements on defense in the form of Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich, and Adam Boqvist have all fit in like a glove so far. But will the injuries prove too much to overcome with Mat Barzal adding his name to the list? And is that a sign the Isles may want to still consider selling at the deadline despite recent success? Sean & Stefen will cover it all with some help from pal Andrew Gross from Newsday.
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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
On Sunday, I was told on good authority that the news on Mathew Barzal would be bad, like season-altering bad. Therefore, I wasn’t shocked at the news that he was “out indefinitely” with a lower-body injury.
I had already braced for impact and had time to digest and think about what it means for this suddenly resurgent and resilient moving forward. The question I have, which I discussed with Chris Botta last night, is if this team is within striking distance of a playoff spot at the trade deadline, how much does not having Barzal impact Lou Lamoriello’s outlook?
🎧 Quick Fix: What Now? ⤵️
There’s been this thought that the Islanders' seven-game winning streak has destined them for hockey purgatory. They would stand pat or even add to this roster rather than make moves with a view to next year. That seems less likely today than yesterday after the Barzal news, or at least it should be.
Maybe I’m wrong, and Lamoriello’s instinct is to replace Barzal with a player for this year and beyond. Nothing would surprise me, and I’m done guessing how things will play out this season. We don’t know what’s coming next, and maybe that’s ok - sometimes it’s more fun when you can’t brace for impact.
