ELMONT, NY — The New York Islanders are getting closer to welcoming key pieces back into their lineup, but changes are still coming in the meantime.
Ahead of Saturday night’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils, Mathew Barzal and Matias Maccelli took another significant step in their respective recoveries, shedding their red non-contact jerseys at morning skate.
Neither will play against New Jersey, but their progress is an encouraging development for an Islanders team that has dealt with numerous injuries early in the season.
Meanwhile, following consecutive losses, head coach Pete DeBoer is shaking up his defense, with Ben Hutton set to make his Islanders debut and Scott Mayfield coming out of the lineup.
Here’s the latest ahead of tonight’s Metropolitan Division matchup.