Report: Barzal out 6 weeks after surgery on kneecap

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal underwent a procedure on his injured kneecap that typically requires a six-week recovery period, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reports.

Barzal was labeled out indefinitely earlier this week with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot late in a Feb. 1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. A portion of Barzal's absence will overlap with the 4 Nations Face-Off break, as the Islanders are off until Feb. 23 after Saturday's contest against the Minnesota Wild.

New York has recently surged into the Eastern Conference playoff picture thanks to an 8-2-0 run over its past 10 games.

Barzal missed 21 games earlier this season because of an upper-body injury. He's notched 20 points in 30 contests when healthy.