Islanders’ Mat Barzal, Adam Pelech out 4-6 weeks with upper-body injuries
The New York Islanders announced several updates on the injuries to center Mat Barzal and defensemen Adam Pelech, Mike Reilly and Alex Romanov on Saturday.
#Isles Injury Updates:
Mat Barzal: upper – 4-6 weeks (LTIR)
Adam Pelech: upper – 4-6 weeks (IR)
Mike Reilly: upper – day to day
Alex Romanov: upper – day to day
Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc have been recalled from Bridgeport.
Barzal was announced to be out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, and as a result has been placed on long-term injured reserve. He missed Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres after suffering an injury during Wednesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, although he finished the game so it’s unclear as to when the injury occurred.
Barzal was off to a slow start this season, as before the injury he had just 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in 10 games.
The other significant update from the Isles was that Pelech will also be out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, and has been placed on injured reserve. He suffered the injury during Friday’s game when he took a puck to the face and left midway through the game.
Pelech was off to a solid start to the season with 4 assists in 11 games before the injury.
In more minor news, the Isles also announced that Reilly is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He suffered the injury shortly after Pelech’s during Friday’s game when he was hit into the boards by Jordan Greenway and fell onto the ice. Reilly left the game after the hit and did not return.
Reilly has been held pointless through 11 games so far this season.
To add to all the injuries on the backend, Romanov is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He had missed three games with the injury and was a game-time decision going into Friday’s game, but made his return to the lineup. He did leave the game during the second period, but returned after the Pelech and Reilly injuries, saying that he fought through the injury to give them four defensemen in the game.
“I can’t just leave my teammates with three D,” said Romanov after the game. “I can’t do that. I watched in medical room and saw two guys were hurt. I can’t just leave them.”
Romanov has been solid when he has been able to play, with 2 assists in 8 games so far this year.
As a result of all of their injuries on the blueline, the Islanders also announced that defensemen Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc have been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. Hutton has 2 assists in 9 games so far in the AHL, while Bolduc has 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 9 games.