After losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, it was announced that Mathew Barzal was going back to Long Island to be evaluated for an injury. It was announced Saturday morning that he was being placed on Long Term Injured Reserve, and would miss at least 4-6 weeks. But the bleeding didn’t stop there.
Early in the third period on Friday in Buffalo, Alexander Romanov took a hard check and went down the tunnel, minutes later, Adam Pelech took a puck directly to the face and immediately skated off and went down the tunnel. What was a good start to the season for Pelech has immediately been derailed.
The most gruesome of all of them in my opinion, was Mike Reilly, who took a hard hit from Jordan Greenway and hit the ice hard. The stretcher came out for Reilly but he eventually got up and was able to skate off under his own power. Which is a good sign, though he is classified as day-to-day i’d be surprised if he played within the next couple of days.
Who Will replace them?
With Barzal and Pelech being placed on IR, there replacements aren’t very easy. For Pelech, Dennis Cholowski will slot into the lineup, and Sam Bolduc will be recalled from Bridgeport. For Barzal, Liam Foudy will likely be the call up to fill a bottom-six role. The Islanders will have a hard time replacing their production, but they certainly will try.
Timelines for Injured Players:
Anthony Duclair: 4-6 Weeks
Mathew Barzal: 4-6 Weeks
Adam Pelech: 4-6 Weeks:
Alex Romanov: Day-to-Day
Mike Reilly: Day-to-Day
Slightly Controversial Opinion
I have a slightly controversial take, and it’s this. With all of these key players injured, if the Islanders sputter over the next month and a half and find themselves far on the outside looking in come the trade deadline, they need to position themselves as best they can to finish with good draft lottery odds. The way you do this is by selling pieces for draft picks and prospects, mainly Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, two players who will garner solid returns. And another narrative, who wouldn’t wanna see a Long Island native come home? As projected #1 pick in the 2025 draft, James Hagens, is from Long Island. But that’s a long way away. The Islanders have to find a way to make up some ground in the standings even while missing key players.
BS Reports 
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