Islanders' Mathew Barzal Returns Home for Injury Evaluation

The star forward's absence adds to the struggling Islanders' offensive woes as they face a challenging road trip.

Mathew Barzal has left the Islanders' road trip to return to New York for evaluation of an upper-body injury.
The Islanders have been struggling offensively, ranking last in the NHL with an average of 2.10 goals per game.
Barzal's injury compounds the team's difficulties, as they are already missing key winger Anthony Duclair due to a lower-body injury.
Despite a high expected goals rate, Barzal has yet to score in 5-on-5 play this season, contributing to the team's scoring issues.
Veterans Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau will join Bo Horvat on the top line in Barzal's absence, as the team seeks to improve its offensive output.