The New York Islanders were dealt a blow to start the new year, as we learned Adam Pelech will be out for the remainder of the regular season with an Achilles injury.

Pelech has developed into one of New York’s most reliable defenders and his absence creates a hole in the Islanders’ defense corps. He averages the second-most ice time per game of any player on the team (averaging just three seconds less per game than Ryan Pulock), as well as the second-most time on the penalty kill (averaging just three seconds less per game than Scott Mayfield). So what does this mean for the Islanders?

Well first off, I’d expect to see a lot more of Noah Dobson, who has only played in 12 games so far this season. Sebastian Aho was also recalled from Bridgeport but I’d hope Dobson gets a long look before Aho really gets any playing time. This was kind of the situation that Dobson was here for: spend some time learning with the NHL team and be able to jump into the lineup if there’s an injury. If Aho’s going to leapfrog him, at that point I’d question why Dobson wasn’t just sent back to junior to start with. I’m certainly excited to see more of Aho in the NHL but not at the expense of Dobson.

I’d also guess this means the chances of Nick Leddy, or any defender for that matter, being moved before the trade deadline for a forward are pretty low right now. If a veteran defender is moved, that means we’re getting both Aho and Dobson in the lineup for the rest of the season, which I wouldn’t think is an ideal scenario for the Barry Trotz.

We’re also likely to see more of Johnny Boychuk and/or Ryan Pulock on the penalty kill to help fill in the hole left by Pelech. Considering Pulock is already averaging almost 22 minutes per game, I’d lean towards Boychuk being the better option to take on the bulk of the work.

The positive here is that New York has one of the deepest defense groups in the NHL. While Pelech’s injury is certainly a disappointment for the Islanders, New York has the necessary pieces on the blue line to be able to recover.


OTHER ISLANDERS ARTICLES FROM JANUARY:

SHORT READ: Wahlstrom/Pivonka and Team USA eliminated from World Juniors


For more, follow @BenShelley_20 on Twitter.

Join the Discussion: » 1210 Comments » Post New Comment

» Previewing Round 1: Islanders vs. Hurricanes

» Islanders clinch playoff spot, set for Round 1 rematch vs. Hurricanes

» Isles closing in on playoff berth, but Dobson injury a reason for concern

» Islanders hold on to beat Rangers for fifth straight win

» Islanders shut out Predators, control their own playoff destiny