The New York Islanders announced injury updates on Monday, Nov. 18 with the team hoping a few skaters can return to the lineup. They’ve been reeling from injuries all season and could use some good news and some key players back. The results are a mixed bag. Here’s what you need to know.
- Mike Reilly is out indefinitely. He recovered from a concussion but is having heart surgery which requires him to stay away from the ice for the foreseeable future.
- Alexander Romanov, who is recovering from an upper-body injury, is day-to-day and skating with the team. He practiced alongside Noah Dobson on Monday, a good sign as the Islanders prepare to play the Calgary Flames on Nov. 19.
- Anthony Duclair is returning slowly to the team after suffering a lower-body injury earlier in the season. He will likely start skating with the team this week.
- Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech are further behind as they have yet to be cleared to start skating. Both players are battling upper-body injuries and were initially listed as out for four to six weeks.
Related: Islanders’ Mike Reilly to Undergo Heart Procedure; Out Indefinitely
The recent news isn’t ideal, especially since the Islanders will have to piece together their defense and overall roster for a few games. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. With the Islanders in the middle of the Metropolitan Division, the next steps from general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello will be significant.
What Does This Mean for the Islanders?
They need to add reinforcements to the defensive unit. Yes, Isaiah George has been a pleasant surprise since he was called up and Romanov will be back soon. However, the recent injuries are a sign that the Islanders won’t have a healthy unit for the season and they need to add depth skaters to avoid a drop-off. Lamoriello’s answer has been the American Hockey League (AHL) call-ups but Grant Hutton, Dennis Cholowski, and Travis Mitchell won’t cut it. Eventually, he must make a move and add a defenseman.
The Islanders also must lean on their top line to still carry the offense. They won’t have Duclair or Barzal back for a few games and it’s why Bo Horvat, Anders Lee, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau must step up and continue to play well to keep the offense from falling apart.
At the same time, Duclair will return soon enough to provide a boost to the offense. If the Islanders can tread water for their next three games, which will be against the Flames, Detroit Red Wings, and at home against the St. Louis Blues, they will be fine moving forward.
The good news is that when Duclair and Barzal return, they won’t need to carry the offense. The injuries forced head coach Patrick Roy to adapt and create a new top line led by Horvat with Lee and Pageau on the wings. Barzal will likely play on the same line as Duclair, something they did early on in the season, but they will likely do so as the second line or better yet, with the Islanders icing a top-nine instead of a top-six.
The forward unit won’t be a problem for the Islanders. The defense, however, could be their weak link and cost them, even with goaltender Ilya Sorokin playing at a high level.
Where the Islanders Can Upgrade
If Lamoriello wants to make a move (a big if considering his history), he can look to acquire a depth defenseman to round out the defense. Ryan Suter and Alec Martinez are two veteran stay-at-home defensemen on teams that are going nowhere and considering they are free agents after the season, they will be moved for a reasonable price. The problem with both skaters is that they are in their late 30s and aside from being well past their primes, they would make an aging roster look older.
A better target is Ivan Provorov who is playing great defense on a last-place Columbus Blue Jackets team. He would be a significant upgrade to the blue line but the catch is that the Blue Jackets will have a higher asking price considering he’s one of their best trade assets.
The Islanders will look to improve the defense from within and the bet is that they will be healthy by the end of the season. That’s a risk not worth taking if Lamoriello wants this team to contend. It’s why he will need to actively add to the roster before the injuries derail their season.
