Adam Pelech (left) (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Islanders are down one of their top defensemen for the foreseeable future, the team announcing on Saturday before puck drop against the Philadelphia Flyers that veteran blueliner Adam Pelech was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) due to an upper-body injury.
Pelech suffered the injury just 2:23 into Friday night’s 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators when Drake Batherson hit him into the end boards. He immediately clutched his wrist and went straight down the tunnel. He did not return for the rest of the game.
The 29-year-old is half of the Islanders’ top defensive pairing where he’s recorded three assists in 16 games this season to go with a plus-6 rating.
By NHL rules, placing a player on LTIR means he’s expected to miss 24 days of action. The Islanders have 12 games during that stretch. It’s yet another notable blow for a defense that has struggled to stay at full strength this season.
Not only did Pelech miss two games earlier this season with a lower-body injury, but Scott Mayfield missed seven games as well, also because of a lower-body injury. Just moments after Pelech was forced out on Friday, fellow defenseman Sebastian Aho also suffered an injury that ended his night early. The Islanders have yet to provide an update on him.
Samuel Bolduc is expected to slot back into the lineup with Pelech out. The extra defenseman has already appeared in 10 games this season, but his time was often limited on the third pairing alongside Aho. He averaged just 9:38 of ice time per game.
If Aho is also out, the Islanders will have to call up another defenseman to ensure that six are dressed. They’re given that option even with their measly cap space of approximately $534,000 because they put Pelech on LTIR, which allows them to call up another player. Under normal circumstances, that call-up’s minimum cap hit of approximately $762,000 would put the Islanders over the cap. While the…
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