Islanders active Mathew Barzal, who was set to make season debut Saturday night at Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif. — There were moments over the past seven months when Mathew Barzal was not sure his left knee would let him play again, let alone when he would play this season.

“I’ve had some hard days,” the Islanders’ elite-skating playmaker said. “Honestly, it’s been probably the hardest journey in my life.”

Which is why Barzal was at times gleefully overjoyed and at times emotional as he discussed his path back to the Islanders’ lineup. He was activated off the season-opening injured/non-roster list and scheduled to make his season debut after missing all of training camp and the first 18 regular-season games as the Islanders concluded a three-game California swing against the Ducks on Saturday night at Honda Center.

“When you take away something that you love and you’ve been doing since you were four-years-old and you’re unable to get on the ice and skate and play and you feel like you don’t know what the future looks like,” Barzal said. “A lot of moments in the summer where there’s a period where things aren’t getting better and you never know if it’s ever going to get better.

“This has been the hardest struggle of my life but every single day I attacked it.”

Barzal said he had been aiming to make his return on Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets at UBS Arena but, “I had a couple of good skates the last few days and I got here this morning to the rink and I just wanted to go. I’ve been so hungry for a while.”

Barzal was initially hurt blocking a shot off his left kneecap on Feb. 1, 2025 against the Lightning but led the Islanders with 72 points (19 goals, 53 assists) in 81 games last season. Barzal said Saturday he played at “probably 80%” last season.

“I played last year and found a way to get through it,” Barzal said. “I tried to get back on the ice a few weeks after the season it just wasn’t responding well. I think if you ask any athlete when there’s times where you feel like things are very stagnant or even worse than they were before and you can’t seem to get the wheels back on track, that thought [of not being able to play again] creeps into your mind.

“But I’m fortunate to have a great circle around me that kept me on my feet. There were a lot of days where it was dark.”

Barzal said his mother, Nadia, would come to Long Island to take care of him.

“My mom is such a rock,” Barzal said. “She’d come down for two, three weeks at a time when I was in the dumps and just cook me meals. Deal with my miserable [butt] all the time.”

Barzal said he went months without being able to put any strain on his knee. But he said the doctors came up with a rehab strategy about two months ago that allowed him to turn the corner to recovery.

He added there’s a strong belief that the rehab strategy will keep him from having to worry about the knee going forward.

“There was so much time off that we were literally having to rebuild the leg in terms of strength and muscle,” Barzal said. “That’s not something that happens overnight.”

Barzal said he did not have to undergo another procedure during the long recovery.

And coach Pete DeBoer said he does not anticipate having to give Barzal days off for what’s phrased as “load management” in the NBA.

“That’s not on my radar,” said DeBoer, adding he would try to limit Barzal’s minutes initially.

“He’s playing his first game in seven months. We’re going to manage his ice time. We know there’s going to be some runway where he’s got to work himself back into game shape and game timing but it’s a great first step.”

Barzal’s presence put the Islanders closer to full health after forward Matias Maccelli (lower body) and defenseman Ryan Pulock (shoulder) returned for Thursday night’s 5-2 win in Los Angeles.

Forward Emil Heineman said it was obvious how tough a struggle Barzal went through.

“Every hockey player wants to feel like a hockey player and be out there and play,” Heineman said. “It’s tough when you see it. You feel for him.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.