When Austin Czarnik was sent back down to AHL Bridgeport following a four-game spell with the Islanders, he didn’t sulk.
Just two days after scoring his first NHL goal since 2019, Czarnik was one of the best players on the ice for the Bridgeport Islanders, scoring a goal and tallying two assists in a 5-4 win over the Toronto Marlies. That paid dividends sooner than he might’ve thought.
When Mathew Barzal came down with COVID-19, going into protocols while the Isles were in Detroit this week, Czarnik was first on the list to be called up.
“I think with Austin, you saw in the games he played two things,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said Thursday morning. “He was able to make some really good offensive plays. Scored a goal, but it was trust. You watch his positioning in his own end, all those type of things. The right play at the right time, he was doing that.”
This call-up is very much the product of how Czarnik played during his last spell with the Islanders. When the Isles suffered a COVID outbreak in late November, Czarnik was the third center the team used from Bridgeport, after Andy Andreoff and Otto Koivula.
At the time, it was logical to assume that came down to Andreoff having more NHL experience and the Isles wanting to see what they had in the 23-year old Koivula. Ultimately, though, it was Czarnik who impressed the most.
At 29, Czarnik is something of a journeyman. Ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Bruins, he had played just 16 NHL games over the last three seasons. Prior to signing with the Islanders in October 2020, Czarnik was with the Calgary Flames. In 2018-19, he played 54 games, reaching the zenith of his career in the first season of a two-year, $2.5 million deal.
Since then, Czarnik has spent most of his time in the AHL, waiting for the next chance.
It finally came last week against the Predators, when Kieffer Bellows got the puck out from the wall to spring Czarnik and Wahlstrom on a breakaway. Wahlstrom found Czarnik and Czarnik found the back of the net for the first time in over two years.
He didn’t find much time to revel in it after the game, which the Islanders lost 4-3 in the final seconds.
“Bellows made a good play on the wall, made a good play to me,” Czarnik said. “We’ve been rolling together.”
A day later, he was back in Bridgeport, illustrating a problem he’ll continue to confront.
It’s unlikely Czarnik will get an extended NHL stint with the Islanders without a major injury — the team has its top four NHL centers, and Zach Parise has shown himself adept at filling the position if the need arises. But with his limited opportunities, Czarnik has done enough to make an impression within the organization.
“He fits very well with our team,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “Whatever spot you put him in, you know he’s gonna do the job. He’s a very smart player that works extremely hard. And he’s always putting himself in a good spot. He’s always on the good side of the puck.
“He’s obviously a key player and when he jumps in, you know he’s gonna do the job. We’re lucky to have him on our side.”