Islanders Face Decisions Post-Romanov Injury
St. Paul, Minn. — The Islanders are now grappling with two significant questions following Alexander Romanov’s absence from the lineup.
First, there’s the matter of Isaiah George. He made 33 appearances for the Isles last season and was expected to be a strong contender for a full-time role this year. When will he get the opportunity to claim the left-side spot, especially given that Adam Boqvist, Travis Mitchell, Marshall Warren, and Cole McWard haven’t made a strong case for themselves?
Secondly, will general manager Matthew Darsch look beyond the organization to fill this gap?
George’s situation might stem from a challenging season marked by injuries. He faced setbacks right before Romanov went down and then encountered another issue right before the holiday period. Coach Darsch mentioned before Thursday’s game that George is likely to return from his current lower-body injury for AHL Bridgeport’s match against Springfield this weekend. So, if he can stay fit and perform well, it seems likely that he’ll eventually get his shot.
“It’s unfortunate for him,” Darsch noted. “If he were healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a chance. He’s set to play this weekend, so we’ll see how it goes.”
McWard, a natural right-handed player, has been playing on the left side in two out of three games since his call-up. While he hasn’t precisely stood out from Mitchell and Warren, he’s managed to hold his ground without significant issues. Still, being benched for over eight minutes in Thursday’s game against Nashville raises some eyebrows. But, then again, it might be a bit too early for harsh judgments. There’s no solid reason yet to think he wouldn’t be in the lineup against Minnesota on Saturday.
Last year, when injuries plagued the Islanders’ defensive line, Lou Lamoriello was proactive, looking outside the organization for reinforcements.
He brought in Boqvist via waivers, signed Tony DeAngelo, and traded for Scott Perunovich. Not to mention he grabbed Mike Riley off the waiver wire and dealt him for Robert Bortuzzo.
This time around, though, Darsch hasn’t followed suit, and a big part of that could be due to the inconsistent performance of many of the players in question, excluding DeAngelo, whose situation stemmed from off-ice issues.
There’s also a philosophical aspect to Darsch’s approach. He appears focused on nurturing talent in Bridgeport instead of seeking quick fixes from elsewhere.
“I don’t want to make a knee-jerk reaction,” he explained when asked about potentially seeking external replacements. “I strongly believe in our minor league system. Having played many games there, I think they deserve an opportunity. We work with Coach Rocky Thompson in Bridgeport to determine who’s performing well and who deserves a call-up.”
Darsch continued, “Some of the players we sent back weren’t necessarily underperforming. Sometimes, it’s about giving other guys a shot. Some really earned their opportunity and did well during their time here. As for Cole McWard, he’s played decently. We’ll see how it evolves.”
So far, none of the players called up have been wholly overwhelmed or struggled significantly, which is a positive sign regarding the depth of the team. However, it still raises questions about why they remain in the lineup.
On the recovery front, Romanov is reportedly healing well from shoulder surgery. There’s hope he could make a playoff return, despite having faced setbacks after a brutal hit by Mikko Rantanen that ended his regular season. This situation might further motivate the Islanders to fully explore their internal options.
It’s worth noting, though, that Romanov hasn’t yet started skating alone. Recently, when he was asked to demonstrate a “YMCA,” he couldn’t lift his shoulders enough to participate. So, as it stands, the left-side position remains up for grabs.
