Islanders Training Camp Mailbag: Barzal’s Absence, Eklund’s Opportunity & More

Answering your Islanders training camp questions on Mathew Barzal’s absence, Victor Eklund’s opportunity, Isaiah George, Semyon Varlamov and more.

Stefen Rosner, David Kolb, and The Elmonters

Sep 17, 2026

∙ Paid

**PHOTO: Dennis DaSilva / New York Islanders**

New York Islanders training camp is officially here.

And there’s no shortage of questions as the Islanders hit the ice for the first time, with Pete DeBoer running his first training camp on Long Island.

Mathew Barzal’s status has suddenly become one of the biggest storylines, while Victor Eklund and Isaiah George will be fighting to prove they belong on the opening-night roster. There are also questions surrounding Semyon Varlamov, the Islanders’ prospect pool, how the defense shakes out, and much more.

So, with camp getting underway, let’s dive into your questions in this week’s mailbag.

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