$73,200,000 Islanders star drops a major injury recovery update ahead of 2025-26 season

New York Islanders’ forward Mathew Barzal shared a significant update on his recovery as he prepares for the 2025-26 NHL season. Barzal, on an eight-year, $73.2 million contract, was sidellned for 52 games last season due to two major injuries.

During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of the ForePlay Pod, he offered insight into how his rehab is going.

"I haven't been skating as much as I usually do in the summer. Right now, just coming off my injury, it's fully healed and everything, and I'm feeling solid, but I still got some time, "I'm using the time that I have, right?," Barzal said. "It's been hard not getting on the ice every single day and having to go out and stickhandle in my flip-flops."

The first injury occurred on Oct. 30 when Barzal was on the receiving end of a hard hit inside the Columbus Blue Jackets' blue line from Yegor Chinakov. The injury forced Barzal to miss 21 games as he underwent more testing and recovery on Long Island.

On Feb. 1, Barzal suffered another setback when he blocked a slapshot off the left kneecap from Darren Raddysh. This injury kept him out for the remaining 31 games of the season.

Despite the lengthy recovery, Barzal is confident that he will be ready to go for the start of training camp in mid-September for the Islanders.

In 30 games Barzal played last season, he recorded 20 points (six goals, 14 assists), averaging 20:21 minutes of ice time per game for the Islanders.

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Islanders' Mathew Barzal shares reason for taking fewer shots

Mathew Barzal has long been known for his elite playmaking abilities, but his goal-scoring has been a point of discussion among fans.

Barzal explained that it eventually comes down to hockey intelligence and knowing how top-tier goalies react.

"In practice, you come down with no defenders, no traffic — shoot on Ilya Sorokin or one of these NHL goalies. People think, 'Oh, it's a grade-A chance. … 'Dude, that shot in practice with no traffic in front goes in maybe two of ten times — maybe," Barzal explained. "Guys go in practice without scoring on some of these goalies, man. You can't just walk in and shoot and score."

Barzal pointed out that a shot’s success often relies on how well a player uses deception and movement. He said that faking a shot before making a pass can sometimes lead to an even better scoring opportunity.

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Edited by Bhargav