Just when you thought the New York Islanders were starting to look like a team that could actually make some noise, the injury bug bit again. And this time, it took a massive chunk out of their top six.
What Happened To Palmieri?
Kyle Palmieri, the iron man of the team, is out for the season. Let that sink in for a moment. The guy who played 223 consecutive games, a streak longer than anyone else on the roster by a country mile, went down with a torn ACL in his left knee during their latest game against the Flyers. Just like that, his season is over.
A devastating blow doesn’t even begin to cover it. The Islanders confirmed the gut-punch on Saturday, adding that he’ll need surgery and will be sidelined for a grueling six to eight months. At least Palmieri went out making an assist for the team.
How Much More Can the Islanders Take?
Losing a player of Palmieri’s caliber is a nightmare scenario for any team, but for the Islanders, it feels like a recurring one. This is the second season-ending injury they’ve had to swallow in just over a week. First, it was defenseman Alexander Romanov, who needed shoulder surgery after a hit from Mikko Rantanen. Now, Palmieri joins him on the long-term injured reserve. To add insult to injury, Jean-Gabriel Pageau is also out with an upper-body issue, though the team expects him back before Santa Claus makes his rounds.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Palmieri was quietly putting together a fantastic season, with six goals and 12 assists in 25 games after inking a two-year, $9.5 million extension this past offseason. He was a reliable, durable, and crucial part of the offense. Now, coach Patrick Roy has to stare at a massive hole in his lineup and figure out how to fill it.
What’s the Next Move for Darche?
First-year General Manager Mathieu Darche is certainly earning his paycheck. With Palmieri’s $4.75 million salary potentially hitting the LTIR, there’s some cap flexibility. But let’s be real, you can’t just go to the corner store and buy a replacement for a player like him. The Islanders already had cap space with both Romanov’s $6.5 million and Semyon Varlamov’s $2.75 million on LTIR.
The immediate solution seems to be a “next man up” approach, a cliché that gets thrown around a lot but is now the Islanders’ harsh reality. Russian rookie Max Shabanov is expected to get a shot on the second line with Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman, which is how they finished Friday’s game. Maxim Tsyplakov will likely slot back into the fourth line. But is shuffling the deck with rookies and depth players enough to stay afloat in the hyper-competitive Eastern Conference?
The big question is what Darche will do next. Does he rush into a trade, potentially giving up significant assets for a rental like Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood? Or does he play the waiting game, seeing if this battered roster can somehow tread water? The smart money is on the latter. There’s no point mortgaging the future until you know if the present is even salvageable.
Could The Islanders Be Full Sellers At The Deadline?
If the wheels completely fall off, the Islanders could pivot to being sellers at the trade deadline. Players on expiring contracts like Anders Lee and Pageau would surely attract a lot of interest. But for now, that’s just a grim possibility. The fate of this season rests on the shoulders of the players who are still standing. It’s a tall order, and after this latest blow, you have to wonder just how much more this team can endure.
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