Sep 30, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Islanders forward Matias Maccelli (63) skates with the puck past Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Paul (20) in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
EAST MEADOW, NY — New York Islanders forwards Matias Maccelli and Calum Ritchie will be out for at least this week, head coach Pete DeBoer divulged on Monday.
Both top-six forwards suffered lower-body injuries during New York’s 4-1 victory in Toronto over the Maple Leafs on Saturday, but were still being evaluated on Monday to discover the full extent of their issues.
Maccelli, in his first year with the Islanders, had been finding his groove as of late with two goals and three assists (five points) in his previous four games before his brief outing on Saturday in Toronto. Ritchie, who centered Maccelli on the second line, is in his second full NHL season with the Islanders after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Brock Nelson trade. He has a goal and an assist in eight games.
Mitchell Chaffee, recalled from AHL Hamilton, and Kyle MacLean drew into New York’s lineup during practice on Monday, flanking Casey Cizikas on the fourth line. Chaffee is a new addition to the islanders’ ranks, having played in 109 career NHL games since the 2021-22 season, most recently with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.
“I play a physical game,” Chaffee said. “I love being able to win puck battles and especially shoot the puck. That’s a big strength of mine… I love doing it, so any chance I can get, I’m going to shoot it. That’s a big part of my game.”
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DeBoer ensured that the Maccelli and Ritchie injuries will not impact how the team handles what they hope is the final length of star winger Mathew Barzal’s recovery from aggravating a prior knee injury.
Barzal was shut down shortly before the start of the regular season for two weeks and has begun skating on his own, but progress appears to be coming in small increments, and there is still no timetable for when he’ll be able to make his season debut.
“There’s no expediting what he’s going through… he wants to get back here as quickly as anybody,” DeBoer said. “That mindset hasn’t changed because we’re down two guys, and unfortunately the program he’s on can’t change because we’re down two guys.”
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