Islanders Practice: Dobson Returns, While Dal Colle Remains Out

It was a good news, bad news kind of day for the New York Islanders as they returned to the ice for their first practice since wrapping up a four-game road trip earlier this week.

On the bright side, the Islanders got back defenseman Noah Dobson, who had been sidelined due to COVID-19. Dobson hasn’t played since going into the NHL’s COVID protocols on Sunday, March 14 and missed eight games due to the virus.

New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz suggested that could come to an end when the Islanders host the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

“He skated. He skated fine for a few days and I’ll just check with him tomorrow if he’s good to go,” Trotz said after Wednesday’s practice. “If he gives me the thumbs up then I would assume that he will join us.”

Thomas Hickey and Sebastian Aho had been filling in for Dobson while he has been sidelined by COVID-19. Dobson came off the protocol list last week, but in an effort to ease him back, the Islanders did not bring him with them on the four-game trip.

The expectation is that Hickey will come back out of the lineup now that Dobson is likely ready to go.

While the Dobson news was good, the news on Michael Dal Colle was not exactly what fans had been hoping for. Dal Colle did not practice with the team after missing the Isles’ last two games with a lower-body injury. New York was already down Anders Lee for the rest of the season with an ACL injury.

It appeared that Trotz indicated that Dal Colle would not be available for Thursday’s game with the Washington Capitals at the Nassau Coliseum. If he does not play it would be the third straight game Dal Colle will have missed due to the injury.

It’s unclear when that injury occurred last week.