Islanders taking it easy with Alexander Romanov after defenseman took multiple hard hits
Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov skates with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period of an NHL game at UBS Arena on Oct. 22. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
EDMONTON, Alberta — Injured defenseman Alexander Romanov resumed skating with the Islanders on Monday, albeit in a non-contact jersey. That’s not necessarily a sign he’ll be jumping right back into the lineup.
Romanov, who said he and the team learned a lesson to be a little more cautious, is expected to miss his fifth straight game and eighth in the last nine with an upper-body injury when the Islanders open a seasonlong five-game road trip against the Oilers on Tuesday night at Rogers Place.
Romanov was initially hurt on a hit from the Devils’ Kurtis MacDermid on Oct. 25 but returned to the lineup for the Islanders' 4-3 win in Buffalo on Nov. 1. However, he took a hard hit from Jordan Greenway and missed some second-period shifts in that game.
“It wasn’t like I was coming back from the injury I had against New Jersey,” said Romanov — known for his high pain tolerance — after Monday’s practice. “I just tried to figure out if I could play or not. When I played against Buffalo, we didn’t really know what happened to me. After I got hit against Buffalo, I started thinking something was really wrong. It’s not just some tight muscle or something like that.
“So I don’t want to get back and get hurt again so I need the time to get healthy. I don’t want to rush right now because the risk is really high to get injured again.”
The top-pair defenseman said he joined the team for this lengthy trek to gauge his progress on a day-by-day basis. He skated with forward Hudson Fasching as an extra defense pair in practice.
In the meantime, rookie Isaiah George, 20, will remain paired with Noah Dobson as he continues his impressive start to his NHL career.
George, a fourth-round pick in 2022, logged 24:07 in the Islanders' 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils on Saturday at UBS Arena and had a chance to score the winner in the extra period.
“Each day, I’m just trying to earn the next [game],” George said. “I definitely feel more calmer than the first games. I just get more accustomed to everything, the speed, the physicality, even the systems. It just makes it a little bit easier to go out there. You’re thinking about a little bit less and just playing.”
There will be a lineup decision once Romanov is healthy and, down the line, whenever Adam Pelech (jaw/4-to-6 weeks) or Mike Reilly (concussion/indefinite) might be able to return.
Right now, Dennis Cholowski would likely be the odd man out if Romanov is able to play at any point on this trip.
“[Romanov] was moving well and you could see the smile on his face,” coach Patrick Roy said. “We’re going to have to make a tough call but it’s a good thing when everybody is playing well.”
Notes & quotes: Ilya Sorokin is expected to start his second straight game after making 29 saves against the Devils. He still needs one win to reach 100 for his NHL career… Matt Martin is expected to play his third straight game on the fourth line.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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