The Islanders can take some encouragement from Anthony Duclair's timeline, but they will be without him until at least — mid-November.
The team announced Duclair will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury after the winger went down late in Saturday's win over the Canadiens.
After Duclair stood up, he did not put any weight on his right leg and appeared to be holding his groin.
Lou Lamoriello initially told reporters it was expected to be a “long haul,” but it feels like the Islanders have gotten through four to six weeks with relative ease.
But the Islanders will still be without players to complete the top line for a long time, especially when they have struggled to score recently.
The Islanders have not yet announced whether Duclair will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), but that would be the logical next step.
LTIR requires a player to miss a minimum of 24 days and 10 games, but that's within schedule, and the Islanders currently only have 12 healthy forwards, including Pierre. It would give them more cap flexibility to bring in Engvall and additional players.
