Horvat did not play on Sunday but could return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 29-year-old Horvat is averaging 20:13 time-on-ice, scoring 22 points (8G / 14A) in 31 games this season.
With Semyon Varlamov (lower body) still away from the team, the Islanders will roll with Sorokin between the pipes for a ninth consecutive game. Sorokin struggled in his previous outing, allowing four goals on 22 shots (.818 SV%) in a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The 29-year-old netminder has a 2.71 GAA and .906 SV% in 22 games (9-9-4) and has battled adversity lately, allowing three or more goals in four of his last six (3-3-0), posting an ugly .878 SV%. The Islanders enter Tuesday's contest as +193 road underdogs against a Carolina Hurricanes club that is 5-5-0 in their last 10.
Engvall has been limited to only 20 games this season, recording six points (3G / 3A). The 28-year-old is averaging 12:40 time-on-ice, nearly three minutes less than last season, and his lowest total since his 24-year-old season in 2020-21.
Duclair has not played since suffering a lower-body injury in mid-October but has been upgraded to day-to-day after participating in practice on Thursday. The 30-year-old Duclair was signed in the offseason to add an offensive punch to a typically low-scoring Islanders club and was off to a solid start, with three points (2G / 1A) in five games.
Barzal has not played since suffering an upper-body injury at the end of October but has be actively skating on his own the past few weeks. He returned to practice for the first time on Thursday and has been upgraded to day-to-day. After a stellar 2023-24 season, scoring 80 points (23G / 57A) in 80 games, Barzal started the 2024-25 campaign slowly, with only five points (2G / 3A) in 10 games.
