Saturday, Oct. 26 felt like a low point for the New York Islanders. Before their game even started, they made headlines for their roster moves. Typically, this would allow the media to ask the general manager (GM) or head coach some questions about the roster and the timeline for any players who are injured. The Islanders aren’t a typical team and GM Lou Lamoriello is the reason why.
Word got out that Lamoriello, along with head coach Patrick Roy, wasn’t going to be available, violating league rules. So, Lamoriello updated the media and the fans on the latest injuries. One of them was Alexander Romanov who is dealing with an upper-body injury and his absence was notable during the game against the Florida Panthers.
The Islanders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and collapsed. They allowed six unanswered goals to lose the game 6-3 in an embarrassment across the board. The biggest takeaways from the game are that goaltender Semyon Varlamov looks over the hill and the defense, which looked like a strength a few games back, looks like a mess, especially with Romanov out of the lineup.
Dobson Is the Best Defenseman, But Romanov Is the Most Valuable
Noah Dobson is the top player on the defense. He’s improved on the defensive end of the ice with 1.1 defensive point shares through six games and continues to make plays at the point, leading the unit with five assists. He’s a key part of the team’s success and has taken them to the next level, especially the past two seasons. That said, Dobson’s not the glue of the unit.
Romanov is. He’s the best stay-at-home defenseman on the Islanders. He’s the hard-hitting, shot-blocking skater who limits opposing offenses but on the rush and near the net. Without him in the lineup, the defense falls apart and it did in their latest game. The Panthers found easy scoring chances and cut through the Islanders like butter with a hot knife (if people still cut butter like that instead of letting it thaw for a few seconds).
The Islanders’ defense only succeeds when there are stay-at-home defensemen to anchor it. Romanov led the unit with 4.8 defensive point shares last season and looks to be the best once again this season. His absence creates a void that the Islanders can’t replace. Sure, if Dobson is out of the lineup, the team won’t generate offense at the point, but losing Romanov has them flailing in their own end.
How Romanov’s Absence Hurts the Defense
When Romanov’s in the lineup, he allows Dobson to play a more aggressive, offensive-minded style of hockey. It’s how he naturally plays and with the security behind him, it unlocks the Islanders’ two-way defenseman. Dobson will look to add to the offense while Romanov stays back to limit offenses on the other end of the ice.
Without Romanov in the top pair, Dobson must take on both roles. Yes, he’s a two-way player, but he’s not the same type of defenseman. He won’t deliver a big hit or play the shooting lanes like Romanov. The top pair, regardless of who fills in, isn’t the same because of it.
Moreover, there’s the trickle-down effect. With Romanov out, Adam Pelech must play the top pairing while Mike Reilly moves up to the second pair. This is already concerning enough for the defense with Pelech and Reilly playing in greater roles than they should be in. To make things worse, Dennis Cholowski, who was a staple of the American Hockey League (AHL) roster is playing the third pairing. Cholowski has shown flashes and ironically, he was one of the few Islanders to score in the recent game but he’s far from NHL-ready.
Losing any defenseman in the lineup is bad enough for a roster that struggles to find reinforcements. When Pelech and Ryan Pulock missed time to injuries in recent seasons, the unit fell apart. Losing Romanov is disastrous. The defense goes from a strength to a weakness in a matter of days.
Romanov Will Return But Must Adapt
Romaonv is listed as day-to-day and will likely return within the week. However, the bottom line is that his style of play makes him more susceptible to injury. In 2022-23, the season after the Islanders acquired him, he missed six games with an injury and had to wear a face shield when he returned. He’ll generally power through injuries but with the hard hits and the shots he takes, this won’t be the last time he misses time.
His style of play is pivotal to the Islanders’ success but he needs to pivot. Romanov often looks like a heart-sinking missile when an opponent has the puck and if he doesn’t hit them, he crashes into the boards. Those plays aren’t going to benefit him in the long run.
Likewise, the Islanders must also pivot. He’s the type of defenseman Roy wants in the lineup and will make the team better but a great coaching staff knows how to avoid overworking a player. Romanov deserves more ice time but if he’s battling through injuries or not looking like a dominant skater, the Islanders must monitor him.
The Islanders should recover after the latest loss. That said, Romanov’s injury is a reminder of how quickly things can fall apart for a unit that is supposed to be a strength.
