Islanders close to getting Casey Cizikas back from injury

 When the doors opened, there were the Islanders skating individually and in groups, around the circumference of the rink.

 And in the middle  of them, wearing a white practice jersey, was Casey Cizikas.

 The Islanders are almost whole again.

 Almost.

 “We’ll see after [warm-ups] but I thought he looked good today,” Patrick Roy said of Cizikas, following an hour-and-fifteen minute practice Wednesday morning at Northwell Health Ice Center. “He’ll be a game-time decision.”

 So, yes, it is possible the Islanders (21-17-12) could have their fourth-line center dress for Thursday night’s nationally televised game  against the Tampa Bay Lightning, after having the shutdown defensive pairing Ryan Pulock (lower-body) and Adam Pelech (upper-body) return from injuries in Monday night’s 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

 And as one might suspect, they are pleased with the potential development.

 “Excited ([o have him] come back,” Matt Martin said. “[Pulock] just came back. [Pelech] just came back. Now Casey as well. We’re getting healthy at the right time and we [have] to keep playing.”

 Cizikas has not played since suffering a lower-body injury Jan. 9 against the Vancouver Canucks. The 32-year-old had been on injured reserve until Sunday, when general manager Lou Lamoriello announced that Cizikas had been moved to Long Term Injured Reserve.

 Cizikas skated in Sunday’s post-All-Star weekend practice wearing a non-contact jersey. Wednesday was the first time he wore a contact jersey.

 “He looked good,” Martin said of Cizikas. “Like he always does. Obviously, he’s been out a little bit and he’s got a [new] coach and new system so I [was] trying to be vocal with him. Help him kind of understand the stuff we’ve been learning for 10 days. His conditioning and everything [looked] pretty good so we’re excited to have him back.”

 According to the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player on injured reserve must miss 10 games or 30 days. Cizikas has missed 10 games.

 Before Cizikas can be activated a corresponding roster move must be made in order to fit his $2.5 million contract under the salary cap. The likeliest option is that Kyle MacLean will be loaned to AHL Bridgeport to free the requisite cap space.

 During practice, Cizikas took his customary spot between Martin and Cal Clutterbuck while MacLean was one of three extra skaters, along with defensemen Sebastian Aho and Samuel Bolduc.

 MacLean skated in six games with the Islanders, including Monday’s win in Toronto, in which he scored his first career NHL goal 2:50 into the second period.

 With the game tied 1-1, MacLean jumped out of the penalty box after serving Bo Horvat’s two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.  MacLean collected Clutterbuck’s clearing pass from the defensive zone and outraced Timothy Liljegren before slipping a backhander past a sprawled Ilya Samsonov.

 “[MacLean] was really good for us,” Martin said. “Stepping in and he played really well. Beautiful first NHL goal. But you know Casey has been here a long time. Energy bunny type of guy. Penalty kill. So responsible five-on-five defensively and like I said, a high energy guy for us.”