Alexander Romanov Out 6-8 Months After Surgery

Now, Romanov won’t return to the Islanders lineup until April at the earliest. New York’s regular season ends on April 10th, so Romanov may finish with only five to six games played this season. Still, if the Islanders reach the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Romanov could return for that. However, if his recovery takes eight months, Romanov may not even be healthy enough for the postseason.

It’s another massive blow to the Islanders, and Romanov specifically. The former 38th overall pick hasn’t played in 70 or more games since the 2023-24 season. His last productive campaign came two years ago when he scored four goals and 20 points in 64 games with a +5 rating, averaging 22:18 of ice time per game.

Regardless, the Islanders will assuredly place Romanov on the long-term injured reserve. Because of the new LTIR rules, only $2.277MM of Romanov’s $6.25MM salary will count against New York’s salary cap table this season. This will increase the Islanders’ cap space to approximately $5.14MM through the rest of the season.

Before the injury, Romanov was playing on New York’s second defensive pairing with Ryan Pulock. The team could move Matthew Schaefer to his forehand, or raise Logan Stanley higher on the depth chart. Still, if the Islanders have their eyes on the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, they may want to get an early start on gauging the market for a top-four defenseman.