nypost
The New York Islanders are anxiously awaiting word on whether Emil Heineman will face a hearing and potential suspension after his knee-on-knee collision with Isaac Howard earned him an ejection just 2:22 into Saturday's contest. Although the Islanders argued that the hit was not initially penalized on the ice, the major penalty itself was clear-cut.
It marked the second consecutive game in which the Islanders lost a player in the opening minutes, following Ryan Pulock's injury in Thursday's win at Minnesota. This time, however, the Islanders never established an offensive rhythm and suffered a 4-0 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers at UBS Arena.
"I was surprised it was upheld as a major, yeah," head coach Pete DeBoer said. "But again, I haven't looked at it that closely."
Heineman did not speak in the dressing room postgame—the Islanders, like most teams, generally do not make players available after they are ejected—and his teammates largely echoed DeBoer's sentiments.
"We haven't had a chance to really see the hit," Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "Obviously we hope the other guy's all right. I know there's no intention behind that. Heiny's someone that plays hard and he's always clean. To start like that, it's obviously hard to create some momentum, but I thought we did a good job killing [the major penalty]."
The good news is that Howard, who left the game and did not return, may be okay, according to Oilers coach Mike Babcock.
"We don't think, Howard, it's as serious as it looked," Babcock said. "We're hoping for a real good kind of recovery day for him tomorrow, and if he doesn't [feel better], then we'll get on with the medical part of looking into it. But they think it's favorable."
The bad news for the Islanders is that in addition to losing Heineman for essentially all of Saturday's game, there is no obvious replacement should he be suspended for Thursday's match against Carolina. The team is carrying just 12 healthy forwards on its roster, and the group with AHL Hamilton is nearly as battered as the one in the NHL. Liam Foudy could be in line for a spot call-up, but none of the forward prospects—Quinn Finley, Cole Eiserman, Daniil Prokhorov—are believed to be ready.
Pulock (upper body) was seeing doctors Saturday to assess the injury sustained Thursday night in Minnesota. Otherwise, the Islanders' injuries are status quo, with Matias Maccelli (lower body) skating, Calum Ritchie (lower body) yet to begin skating and Mathew Barzal (left kneecap inflammation) still skating, but without any timeline.
Key Analysis
The Islanders' depth is being tested on multiple fronts. With Heineman's status uncertain and Pulock's injury requiring further evaluation, the team may need to dig deep into its farm system. The lack of ready forward prospects puts additional pressure on the organization's developmental pipeline. Meanwhile, the severity of Howard's injury remains a concern, though early indications are cautiously optimistic.
Originally reported by nypost.