New York Islanders’ Adam Pelech activated off of injured reserve

The New York Islanders have announced that defenseman Adam Pelech has been activated off of injured reserve.

#Isles Transactions: Semyon Varlamov has been placed on IR (retroactive 1/2/24). Adam Pelech has been activated off the team's IR list.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 9, 2024

Pelech, 29, has missed the last 20 games due to an upper-body injury. While nothing has been confirmed, being activated off of IR likely means that a return is imminent for the Toronto, Ontario native as soon as Tuesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, which is much needed for the Isles depleted blueline. The Islanders have gone 10-5-5 while Pelech has been out of the lineup.

Pelech hasn’t produced much in terms of offense when he’s been in the lineup, with just 3 assists in 16 games this season. It would have put him on pace for 15 points in a full 82-game season, which would be the lowest point total in a full season in his career.

Pelech was a third-round selection of the Islanders in the 2012 NHL Draft, and he has spent the entirety of his nine-season NHL career on Long Island.

Pelech is in the third year of an eight-year contract with a $5.75 million cap hit, one he signed in the 2021 offseason following an arbitration filing.

The Islanders also announced that goaltender Semyon Varlamov will be placed on injured reserve retroactive to his last game played on January 2nd against the Colorado Avalanche. He had left the game due to a lower-body injury, and was considered day-to-day until this recent announcement.

Varlamov, 35, has been maintaining his usual performance since joining the Islanders, with a 6-4-2 record, a .918% save percentage, two shutouts, and 3.91 5v5 goals saved above expected in 14 games this season.

Varlamov was a former 23rd-overall pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2006 NHL Draft, and after three years in Washington, he was traded to the Avalanche for a first and second round pick in 2011. He spent eight seasons with the Avs before he signed with the Islanders in 2019, where he’s since spent the past five seasons.

Varlamov is currently in the first year of a four-year contract with a $2.75 million cap hit, one he signed in the 2023 offseason shortly after reaching free agency.

The Islanders will look to snap a stretch of three losses in their last four games when they host the Canucks on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with an 18-11-10 record.