The catastrophic losses keep coming on the New York Islanders’ blueline. They already have No. 1 defenseman Adam Pelech and depth option Sebastian Aho on IR and, on Friday, they announced that another one of their top-four defensemen, Ryan Pulock, was landing on IR with a lower-body injury.
Pulock, 29,, suffered the injury during the Islanders’ 7-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday night. Pulock did not take a shift in the final 8:14 of the third period. The earliest he can return to action would be Dec. 15 for the Isles’ home game against the Boston Bruins.
The Islanders selected Pulock 15th overall in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He debuted with them in 2015-16 and stuck as a full-time NHLer beginning in 2017-18. He has been a stalwart on their blueline ever since, logging more than 22 minutes per contest in four of his past six seasons. Armed with a blistering slapshot, he has reached double figures in goals twice in his career. His 45 career goals place him sixth in franchise history among defensemen.
Pulock’s primary contributions for the Isles have come in a shutdown capacity, however, using his 6-foot-2, 216 frame. At his best, he formed one of the league’s top defensive duos with Pelech, though Pulock’s on-ice impact has regressed in recent seasons.
Down three blueliners, Isles GM Lou Lamoriello wasted no time plugging a leak on Friday afternoon, acquiring rugged veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo from the St. Louis Blues for a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Bortuzzo, 34, is a veteran of more than 500 NHL games, typically functioning as a physical third-pair presence and penalty killer. He won a Stanley Cup as a member of the 2018-19 Blues team. In the three seasons preceding this one, Bortuzzo ranked in the 91st percentile among all NHL defensemen (min. 500 minutes played) in 5-on-5 hits per 60 minutes.
The Islanders sit third in the Metropolitan Division with an 11-7-7 record. They rank 16th in the NHL in goals allowed per game at 3.20, but even that stat is buoyed by their stellar goaltending; they sit 28th in the league in expected goals against per 60 at 5-on-5, easily the worst of any team currently occupying a playoff spot.
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