Islanders Injuries Fallout: What Will the D-Core Look Like?

Last night, the New York Islanders snapped their three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The team desperately needed that win to stop the bleeding from the losing streak.

However, the story of the night does not come from the win. Just hours after the team announced that Mat Barzal was injured and left the road trip early, the Islanders lost Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly to scary injuries in the game. Alexander Romanov returned to the game after a three-game absence due to an upper-body injury, and even he took a stint in the locker room during the game.

Romanov eventually returned during the same stoppage that saw Reilly exit the game. The team practices in Madison Square Garden today, so any news of any call-ups or updates will come later today.

How Did the Injuries Happen?

Pelech took a puck to the face in the second period, left in serious pain, holding his face, and did not return. Immediately upon taking the puck up high, Pelech covered his entire face and scrambled his way off the ice and down the tunnel. The obvious concern is any broken bones in his face/mouth area, but there’s been no update to this point. If it had been just stitches or even a broken nose, one would think he’d have returned.

Reilly had a very scary injury when Jordan Greenway threw a big but somewhat clean hit on Reilly along the wall. Reilly fell over, and his head smacked on the ice. Initially, the stretcher came out due to Reilly’s inability to get up. Eventually, Reilly rose off the ice, received help, and woozily made his way off the ice with help from the trainers, Kyle Palmieri and Captain Anders Lee. The team told the media afterward that Reilly could get on the team’s plane and travel back to New York with them.

Now What?

The Islanders won’t see Reilly for a bit; that much seems certain. As for Pelech, no updates have been provided, but if he misses time, that will set back the Islanders’ two defensemen. One more angle to all this is what if Romanov re-aggravated his injury to a point where the team wants him to rest for a few games again? Then, the Islanders would be down their entire left side from opening night.

Romanov is undoubtedly a warrior and will want to play through whatever’s ailing him, so we may not see any update with him. As for the replacements for Reilly and Pelech, there’s one obvious answer and then three options for the other hole.

Dennis Cholowski will immediately slot into the Islanders’ lineup. Cholowski has played three games already and scored a goal in one. He fit well enough with Scott Mayfield, so one can assume that’s where he may slot back in. He also makes a natural replacement for Reilly on the power play. He’s a bit more offensive than most, making Cholowski more comfortable with Reilly’s role than a shut-down role like Pelech’s.

Who Comes Up From Bridgeport?

Pelech leaves a big void for the Islanders’ defense. The shutdown defenseman had been having his best start to a season since their Trotz years. Head Coach Patrick Roy’s system helps the defense significantly more than Lane Lambert’s system ever did.

Multiple players can fill his void down in Bridgeport, but there are two obvious candidates to come up from Bridgeport.

Samuel Bolduc is the most likely option, with his left-hand shot and previous NHL experience, to immediately come up and be plugged into the lineup. A second-round pick in 2019, Bolduc had a disappointing training camp and failed to make the roster outright. Through nine games in Bridgeport, the 23-year-old Bolduc has scored one goal and totaled five points with a +/- of 0.

This is a big year for Bolduc; make no mistake about it. Assuming he is called up, this opportunity could be his last major audition with the Islanders.

Grant Hutton impressed in training camp. Hutton, 29, is a veteran leader in Bridgeport with some NHL experience in his game. His calling card is his defensive awareness and positioning, which he prides himself on.

Through nine games in Bridgeport, the 29-year-old has two assists while being a +3  on a 2-5-1 Bridgeport squad. During camp, Hutton received heavy praise from Roy, who loved his positioning and awareness. What works against Hutton is the fact that he’s a right-shot defenseman. Typically, teams don’t like to use off-hand guys.

However, Roy said he doesn’t care much about handedness and trusts his guys to play where necessary.

If Reilly and Pelech head to the IR, the Islanders can afford to call up Hutton and Bolduc. The team would left with exactly $0 in space granted by Anthony Duclair’s LTIR stint.

There’s also a tiny chance the team may want a look at Travis Mitchell, a physical shut-down defenseman who the team signed out of college at the tail end of the 2022-23 season. Mitchell earned a long look in the preseason and played multiple games, displaying strong positional awareness and some serious grit. It’s too soon for the team to even think about Isaiah George, currently in his rookie season with the Bridgeport Islanders.

The Islanders will most likely bring up Hutton and Bolduc and let them compete for a spot in the lineup.