Islanders Andrew Ladd Heads To AHL for Conditioning Stint

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 28: Andrew Ladd #16 of the New York Islanders celebrates his shorthanded goal against the Vancouver Canucks at 5:23 of the first period at the Barclays Center on November 28, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 28: Andrew Ladd #16 of the New York Islanders celebrates his shorthanded goal against the Vancouver Canucks at 5:23 of the first period at the Barclays Center on November 28, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Andrew Ladd is continuing to get back into game shape as the Islanders veteran forward recovers from a torn ACL from last March. For now, he’s on his way to the AHL.

Last March, Andrew Ladd tore his ACL. That most recent injury came not long after Ladd made his return to the Islanders following a lower-body injury suffered at the start of the 2018-19 season.

With both injuries hampering his 2018-19 season, Ladd was only able to play 26 games that year. With eleven points he was on pace for a 35 point season. Not a good return for a player carrying a $5.5 million cap hit, but 35 points would have been his most productive season for the Islanders.

The time table for his torn ACL had him back on the ice in late November. But Ladd is taking steps to get back perhaps a little sooner. The non-contact jersey has already been removed at practice, and now, Ladd is headed to the AHL for a conditioning stint.

Been Here Before

On Saturday, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers announced that Andrew Ladd would be joining the AHL outfit on a conditioning stint from the New York Islanders.

This isn’t the first time that Ladd is sent to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint. Just last season, as Ladd was returning from a lower-body injury early in the season, the Islanders sent him to the Sound Tigers on February 16, 2019.

He played two games with the Sound Tigers scoring a goal and five points in his short stint in the AHL. The Islanders called him back from his conditioning stint three days later on February 19.

In the 12 games he played on his return to the NHL from the AHL, Ladd scored four points and averaged just over a shot on goal per game.

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When Andrew Ladd comes back to the lineup the Islanders are going to have an interesting decision to make with the roster. They have a number of players that would be on the shortlist to be sent down, but who they opt for will be telling.

Do they keep the impressive Cole Bardreau? Do they risk losing Michael Dal Colle to waivers? Does Tom Kuhnhackl go down?

The Islanders have some time to decide. But Andrew Ladd is closer to making his come back.