New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss 5-6 months following an injury sustained in a game against the Dallas Stars. The 25-year-old was boarded by Stars forward Mikko Rantanen late in a 3-2 win on November 18. Islanders coach Patrick Roy expressed disappointment but emphasized moving forward with replacements like Adam Boqvist.
Alexander Romanov, a 25-year-old defenseman for the New York Islanders, had surgery on his right shoulder and is projected to be sidelined for 5-6 months, the team announced on Sunday. The injury occurred at 19:32 of the third period during the Islanders' 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on November 18, when Romanov was boarded behind the net by Stars forward Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen received a game misconduct for the hit.
"He's not happy, there's no doubt about it," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "We have to move on, and you don't replace a player like him. You hope that the guys coming in will fit in, and hopefully that [Adam] Boqvist will play like he's been playing."
Romanov had recorded one assist, 31 hits, 31 blocked shots, and averaged 19:27 of ice time in 15 games this season before being placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. To fill the void, Adam Boqvist has entered the lineup for the past two games, contributing one assist in eight appearances this season. Last year, Boqvist tallied 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 35 games split between the Islanders and Florida Panthers.
Roy highlighted Boqvist's potential: "He's a guy that supports the rush. So what we want to see is him continue to do that, but we also want to make sure he defends well."
Rantanen, who commented on the incident, said, "Obviously, I never meant to do that... Hopefully he's not too bad." He faces a separate one-game suspension for another boarding incident.
Additionally, Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau is week-to-week with an upper-body injury after playing 15:58 in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Pageau has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in 22 games this season.