New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal is stepping in for injured New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes at the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills competition, the league announced via the league’s official public relations X account.
The announcement was made on Tuesday on the heels of NHL executive Steve Mayer saying that it’s best to wait until it’s fully clear that Hughes wouldn’t be able to participate in the competition.
Hughes has not played since suffering an upper-body injury during a Jan. 5 meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks. With Hughes dealing with a health issue, his teammate, Jesper Bratt, has also been added to the All-Star roster. On the season, Hughes has managed to record 15 goals and 30 assists in 32 games played. Bratt, on the other hand, is leading the Devils with 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) through 47 games.
As for Barzal, he is having a terrific campaign with the Islanders, as he is on pace to finish with his most points in a season since entering the league in 2016. After 48 games played, the Islanders skater has found the back of the net 13 times and assisted on 38 New York goals for 51 points. His career high is 85 points, which he gathered during his second year in the NHL.
Barzal has been among the main driving forces this season for the Islanders, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division with 52 points through 49 games.
In 2022, Barzal signed an eight-year $73.2 million extension deal with the Islanders that has him under team control until the end of the 2031-32 campaign.
More must-reads: