Mathew Barzal battled through his left knee injury all season, and as he told reporters in Anaheim Saturday morning, the road back was far harder than anyone could have imagined.
After months of uncertainty and countless hours of rehab, Barzal will finally make his season debut tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, though in a limited role, Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said.
To make room on the roster, the Islanders placed forward Kyle MacLean on non-roster waivers.
Where Barzal slots into the lineup remains to be seen, with line combinations to be revealed during warmups.
Projecting The Islanders' Lineup With Mathew Barzal Back: Who Plays Where & Why?
Mathew Barzal’s return is coming. Will he make his season debut against the Anaheim Ducks tonight?
Below is Barzal’s full conversation following Saturday’s morning skate, where he opened up about the darkest moments of his recovery, the work it took to get back,k and the support of his family.
Special thanks to NHL.com’s Dan Arritt for sharing Barzal’s comments.