The New York Islanders will be without defenseman Alexander Romanov for the sixth time in seven games when they face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
Romanov, who returned from an upper-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 1, showed off his warrior mentality in the second period of that outing, but he and the Islanders may have paid a price for that.
After taking a hard shot from Sabres forward Jordan Greenway, Romanov went down the tunnel. But after seeing Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly leave the game with bad injuries, Romanov knew that he had to come back in and help his team if he could.
Asked #Isles Romanov about leaving the game with an injury but coming back in:
“I can’t just leave my teammates with three D. I can’t do that. I watched in medical room and saw two guys were hurt. I can’t just leave them.”
Roy, yet again, called Romanov a beast for battling.
— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 2, 2024
Romanov’s willingness to return is noble, but he’s been unable to skate on his own since that win, a loss in the lineup that isn’t easily filled.
The 24-year-old has already dealt with a significant injury in his career with the Islanders. He played banged up in their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023, which led to him needing shoulder surgery.
While Romanov, a pending restricted free agent, is without a long-term contract from the Islanders, he certainly will be a long-term investment.
That’s why, as much as Romanov wants to play, the Islanders need to be smart about how they handle him.
While that’s a common-sense mindset, the Islanders can also look back to recent history and how they handled veteran defenseman Scott Mayfield and goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
James Guillory-Imagn Images
Mayfield, who entered the 2023-24 season with a new seven-year deal worth $3.5 million, suffered an ankle injury on night one of the season.
Despite trying to play through it, in and out of the lineup in the first half, the Islanders eventually elected to shut him down for the season.
It turns out that he played 41 games with a broken ankle, with the team opting for season-ending surgery.
Related: Islanders Scott Mayfield ‘Did As Much As He Could’ Amid Injury, Displayed Warrior Mentality
Now, Mayfield is back healthy, playing a much better game now that he can move around.
However, had the Islanders shut Mayfield down immediately, could surgery have had him back a few months later?
Early on, the surgery didn’t seem necessary, but playing 41…