The New York Islanders announced that forward Kyle Palmieri will undergo surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee and miss 6-8 months. The injury occurred during Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Palmieri had been the team's ironman, playing 223 consecutive games before getting hurt.
Kyle Palmieri suffered the ACL tear in the second period of the Islanders' 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday. He fell awkwardly along the boards after colliding with Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Despite the pain, Palmieri stole the puck from Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae in the offensive zone, earning a secondary assist on Emil Heineman's goal before skating off to the locker room.
The 34-year-old forward from Smithtown, N.Y., has recorded 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games this season. Selected in the first round by Anaheim in 2009, Palmieri has amassed 276 goals and 269 assists over 925 regular-season games with the Ducks, Devils, and Islanders. The injury ends his streak of 223 consecutive games, a mark that made him the reigning Islanders ironman.
The announcement came on Saturday, November 29, 2025, as the Islanders (13-9-3) prepare to host the Washington Capitals on Sunday. New York is also dealing with other injuries: defenseman Alexander Romanov is out 5-6 months with a shoulder issue, and forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
In Saturday's practice at UBS Arena, Mathew Barzal and Max Shabanov took maintenance days but are expected to play against Washington. Barzal has 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 24 games, while Shabanov has 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 13 games.
