New York Islanders Defenseman Travis Hamonic Set to Return to Lineup on Friday

Travis Hamonic is going to be back in the lineup against the Ottawa Senators, but Islanders fans everywhere are wondering how much longer he has left in Brooklyn.

Travis Hamonic’s absence from the lineup may be ending sooner rather than later.  Hamonic has missed time reccently due to a hairline fracture in his right foot but he skated in practice today and looks as though he is going to play against the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night.

Hamonic’s absence has been magnified by Johnny Boychuk being injured simultaneously.  This has caused Islanders fans everywhere to collectively lose their minds.  The defensive unit was missing 2 of its best 3 players, but thanks to the contributions of Calvin de Haan, Nick Leddy, and Adam Pelech the defense held up without Hamonic and Boychuk.

The news of Hamonic’s term comes at a crucial time because the Islanders are losing young defense man Adam Pelech for what looks to be like the rest of the season.  Pelech filled in nicely highlighted by a 2 assist night against crosstown rival Rangers.

My biggest takeaway from this news is that it is going to be really tough to see Travis Hamonic go when he eventually gets traded.  He has requested a trade which usually means there is some kind of conflict between player and management, but this is certainly not the case for Hamonic.  He is from Manitoba, Canada and has a family issue that caused him to want to move out west to be closer with his family.

As an Islanders fan, Hamonic has become one of my favorite players.  He has always been great in the community.    He has been a crucial part of this team and always looked like he was going to be a mainstay of the defensive unit for years to come and his contract is very affordable.

His return Friday is going to be a huge boost to the corps of defense men.  The fact that he is returning so quickly shows his dedication to the team.  A lot of guys who are on the trade block would not be rushing back into the lineup and risk getting injured worse and hurting their chances at being traded.  Things like this are really what I am going to miss most about Hamonic.

Hamonic’s return to the lineup on Friday will be a sight for sore eyes and hopefully he can put together a good performance.  It is hard to find any Islander fan who doesn’t like Hamonic and with the trade deadline looming, we are all going to be sad to see him go.