Following the news that the NY Islanders will be without Alexander Romanov for 5-6 months, likely ruling him out for the remainder of the regular season, the team will be without one of their tone setters on the blue line.
Though Romanov didn’t get off to the start the organization had hoped after signing an eight-year, $6.25M AAV contract, his game was trending upwards before suffering a shoulder injury after a hit from Mikko Rantanen.
While Romanov plays on the left side, the Islanders' prospect pool is stocked with young, left-handed defensemen who are ready to contribute, including Marshall Warren, Isaiah George, and soon, Kashawn Aitcheson. And that's not even including Matthew Schaefer. The right side isn’t nearly as bountiful, as Tony DeAngelo, Adam Boqvist, and the injured Ethan Bear are all on one-year deals.
If Mathieu Darche is looking to add to his blue line, it would have to be a young player, and it could very well be on the right side.
Here are three players Darche could target:
