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NHL Rumors: Elliotte Friedman reports Islanders are 'sniffing around' for left-handed D-man
In Sportsnet's Saturday Headlines broadcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the New York Islanders are looking for a left-handed defenseman.
The Islanders are short on defense, with three left-handed defensemen out. Adam Pelech is out with a jaw injury and won’t return until mid-December. Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov are also injured and listed as day-to-day.
Friedman explained:
"It is believed the Islanders are at least looking around. They have three defensemen out. Adam pellack, unfortunately, for quite a bit of time, four to six weeks, they said, still also more day to day for Mike Riley and Alexander Romanov, but they are at least sniffing around to see what's out there. All three of them are left-hand shots."
The NYI are struggling with a 4-5-2 record, occupying the penultimate position in the Metropolitan Division. Only the Philadelphia Flyers rank lower. The Washington Capitals lead the division with 16 points, followed by the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers.
The Islanders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. But their offense has had trouble all season, with four shutout losses in 11 games. They were held scoreless by the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With their defense weakened and their offense struggling, the Islanders are trying to find a solution. Adding a left-handed defenseman could help stabilize their lineup during this challenging stretch.
Islander forward Bo Horvat praises team effort in Sabres win
The NYI defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 at the KeyBank Center on Friday night, ending the Sabres' three-game losing streak. Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov scored a goal and had an assist each. Anders Lee also contributed with two assists, while Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves.
Dylan Cozens opened the scoring for Buffalo with a power-play goal at 9:03 of the first period. He deflected a shot from Rasmus Dahlin past Sorokin before Horvat tied the game 40 seconds later with a backhand goal on a breakaway.
Tsyplakov put the Islanders ahead 2-1 at 5:25 of the second period. He made a quick move on a defender and scored. Kyle Palmieri extended the lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal at 12:20.
In the third period, Jason Zucker cut the lead to 3-2 with a redirect. Jean-Gabriel Pageau then made it 4-2. Owen Power scored late to make it 4-3. Horvat praised the team for their effort.
“That was a gutsy win by everybody,” Horvat said. "... Definitely wasn't an easy game for the [defense] back there, being down to four 'D,' but it shows the character of this team. We found a way.”
The NYI look forward to their next game, where they face the Rangers on Sunday.
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