Mat Barzal says knee fully healed, will start training camp at center for Islanders

Mat Barzal said Monday that his surgically repaired knee is "fully healed" and that he has "no worries" heading into New York Islanders training camp, a shift from comments he made last week at the NHL media tour.

Barzal, who missed the end of last season after sustaining two separate knee injuries and undergoing surgery, spoke to beat reporters at the Islanders' annual golf outing and described his recovery as both physical and mental. "When you have an injury like the one I did, you can go two ways with it mentally," he said. "You can kinda sulk in it, let it own you, and it did early on. Watching it, it kills you at times, but then you flip a switch and you put everything into rehab and getting better. So, it’s more so just mental. It’s fully healed, it’s good to go. There’s no worries about that. Mentally, it’s just a matter of doing whatever it takes to get back to being the player I was."

Barzal appeared to temper comments he made last week in Las Vegas at the NHL media tour, where he said players "potentially never feel back at 100 percent" after similar injuries. He played just 30 games in 2024-25, with the second knee injury — sustained on a blocked shot — ending his season and leaving him off Team Canada's Olympic orientation camp roster this summer.

Islanders coach Patrick Roy said Monday the team will start camp with Barzal back at center, a role he has filled only in brief stints since New York acquired Bo Horvat. Roy indicated lines of Barzal centering Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri to start, while Horvat would skate between Maxim Shabanov and Jonathan Drouin. "I think me and Bo have great chemistry out there," Barzal said. "Hopefully, we can find ways to get us on the ice [together] still ’cause I feel like we give our team a good chance of scoring."

Roy said goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who has been recovering from a knee issue, has started to skate but it was unclear whether he will be ready for the start of camp. "Everyone else should be on the ice Thursday," Roy added. Horvat said he had no lingering concerns about an ankle injury he suffered at the World Championships.

Barzal said he has been skating for several weeks and described camp as a return-to-play gauge. "I kinda know what it’s like," he said. "I think it’s gonna be a good gauge. I’m not even thinking about [the injury], putting emphasis. As soon as I step on that ice, clear mind and work as hard as I can."

The Islanders are expected to use training camp to sort forward combinations and evaluate depth after a season disrupted by injuries to key players. Barzal's health and role at center will be closely watched because of his impact on the club's offense and the roster changes New York has made in the offseason.

Barzal's public optimism represents the latest milestone in his recovery timeline: surgery and rehabilitation following the knee injury that ended his season, skating in recent weeks and now a commitment to return to game shape in camp. The Islanders did not provide a timetable for Varlamov's full return, and the club's early camp lines will likely evolve as coaches assess players' conditioning and chemistry on the ice.