Though the Islanders won 3-1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night, there was a lot that occurred throughout that game that calls the rest of the Islanders season into question.
Noah Dobson went down with a brutal leg injury, and didn’t return for the rest of the game. On Tuesday it was announced that Dobson was out indefinitely with no timetable for a return, which is devastating for the Islanders blue-line. Right when this group was starting to get healthy, (with the exception of Semyon Varlamov and Mike Reilly), another crushing blow is dealt to them. This is the type of injury that can sink your season. And with the Islanders impending deadline decisions likely impacted by the current homestand, the Islanders may not be able to turn that corner without Dobson. The Islanders will likely make some form of a decision on buying or selling ahead of the stoppage of play for the Four Nations Faceoff, the Islanders final game before then being February 8th.
I stay steady on my belief of the Islanders, their early injury struggles, and bottom tier special teams have led them to where they are, and they need to maximize on the values of Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. The combination of draft picks and prospects those players can return is essential, as the Islanders need to retool the roster in order to get back to the top tier of contenders in the Eastern Conference.
BS Reports 
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