Kyle Palmieri tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a game on Friday, and the Islanders confirmed on Saturday that he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
He is expected to undergo knee surgery within the next six to eight months.
This is really a tough setback for the Islanders, as Palmieri played a vital role in their efforts to secure a top-six finish.
Interestingly, he had been one of the most reliable players, going through 223 consecutive games without missing one—90 more than any other player on the team. That streak will unfortunately come to an end during Sunday’s game against the Capitals.
Max Shabanov and Matt Barzal missed Saturday’s practice for maintenance but are anticipated to play on Sunday. So, the lineup against Washington is still a bit up in the air.
Shabanov is likely to take the second line with Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman, much like the previous night’s game. Also, Max Tsyplakov should rejoin the fourth line while Mark Gatcomb might get called up from the AHL to provide some extra depth.
Palmieri, who signed a two-year, $9.5 million extension in the offseason, was having a solid year, contributing six goals and 12 assists in 25 games.
This injury marks another significant loss for the Islanders within just over a week, following Alexander Romanov’s shoulder surgery after a hit by Mikko Rantanen in last Tuesday’s win at Dallas.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau is also on the sidelines due to an upper-body injury but is expected back before Christmas.
Palmieri’s injury didn’t seem to come from a dirty play; it appeared more like a fluke fall as he raced into a corner while battling Jamie Drysdale.
If Palmieri’s $4.75 million annual salary goes to long-term injured reserve, it could grant the Islanders some extra cap space. However, it seems more of a theoretical issue at this point. Currently, Pierre Engvall is the only one on LTIR, but the Islanders won’t need additional LTIR space right now, as they can manage the salaries of Romanov ($6.5 million) and Semyon Varlamov ($2.75 million) whenever necessary.
