Islanders Receive Positive Cizikas, Kuhnhackl and Pelech Injury News
The New York Islanders have received some positive news regarding Casey Cizikas, Tom Kuhnhackl and Adam Pelech, who all suffered injuries recently.
There was so much relevant information regarding the New York Islanders during Lou Lamoriello’s exit conference the other day. There was information on the topics of pending unrestricted and restricted free agents and where the Islanders will be playing their home games next year.
Yet, there was one thing that was mentioned that should get Islanders fans extremely excited about.
Lamoriello provided injury updates about three players, who all suffered season-ending injuries during the postseason. They all required surgery for their respective injuries.
Ready for 20-21
The three players that Lamoriello provided updates about are Casey Cizikas, Tom Kuhnhackl and Adam Pelech. Lamoriello said:
“All three players have had successful surgery… They have certainly seen their physicians since their surgery. They’re all in a rehab situation and all will be ready for the start of training camp whenever that might come. There is ample time for them to heal. All surgeries were successful and all are in good spirits.”
Islanders fans are going to be happy about the positive news regarding all three of the players, but they will be specifically happy about Cizikas and Pelech because they are already contracted to the Islanders for next season and are key players to the Isles success.
Cizikas is seen as a key player that makes up the Islanders heart and soul. His penalty killing and consistent game provides a key asset to the Isles fourth line and is an extremely reliable player. The Islanders tend to match Cizikas against the top line of opposing teams, and Cizikas has flourished in that role.
Many people see Pelech as one of the Islanders best players and their best defenseman. Pelech suffered an Achilles injury in early January and was expected to miss the postseason, but due to the postponement of the playoffs, he recovered in time to play in the postseason. Pelech played very well over the playoffs and showed how valuable he is. Unfortunately, Pelech got hurt in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals and was ruled out for game six, which eliminated the Islanders from the postseason.
Kuhnhackl is a different story in regards to the other two players because he is a pending unrestricted free agent this offseason and played a fill-in role in his tenure with the Isles. He is set to hit the open market if a deal cannot be struck by October 9th, when free agency starts.
The two-time Stanley Cup winner played in three postseason games, during the 2020 postseason and had one assist and finished with a +2 plus/minus. He only played in 28 regular-season games and registered six points, while averaging 11:18 of ice time per game.
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As of now, we have no timetable on when next season will start, but it is a great sign that these three players should be healthy, available, and ready to play for the start of the 2020-2021 season.
Isles Country: Should the Islanders re-sign Kuhnhackl for next season? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*