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The New York Islanders return home on Thursday to face the Chicago Blackhawks, but they will do so with a significantly altered defensive lineup compared to the one that took the ice Tuesday against the New York Rangers.
In that Tuesday matchup, the Islanders fell to the Rangers 5-2. Although a pair of empty-net goals inflated the final margin, the defeat still counted in the standings. More concerning for the team, defenseman Alexander Romanov exited the game early with an injury.
Romanov has since been diagnosed with a torn ACL and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight months. As a second-pair defenseman, he had been logging key minutes early in the season, making his absence a significant blow to the Islanders' blue line.
Now the team must adjust, and the new-look defense could take time to jell. While the organization has talented young prospects in the AHL, promoting them to fill Romanov's spot might be premature at this stage.
According to Andrew Gross, who reported from the Islanders' morning skate, the potential defensive pairings in the wake of Romanov's injury have been set.
Islanders Shake Things Up
There was speculation about who would replace Romanov, and based on the morning skate, it appears Scott Mayfield will draw in. The 33-year-old has seen a reduced role in recent years, but his extensive experience makes him a logical short-term fill-in.
However, the composition of the pairings raised some eyebrows. On the top pair, Logan Stanley skated alongside Matthew Schaefer. While moving Schaefer back to the left side after Romanov's injury seemed plausible, he instead remained on the right with the left-handed Stanley.
The second pair reunites Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, a duo with a long history of playing together. On the third pair, Mayfield is paired with Tony DeAngelo. That combination is somewhat surprising given that both are right-handed shots, but head coach Peter DeBoer will hope it can be effective.
These are the likely pairings for Thursday, though they could change. The Islanders will be eager to return to the win column after their loss to the Rangers, and they will need their defensemen to quickly develop chemistry in their new configurations.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has worked in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade across various online publications. He currently serves as the publisher for the New York Islanders On SI site. In his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.