Casey Cizikas' ice-time is dwindling with the NY Islanders

It’s difficult to see a player who has been such a vital piece of the NY Islanders for over a decade showing a steady decline in his on-ice performance, but that’s exactly what’s happening with Casey Cizikas this season. 

The only remaining member of The Identity Line, Cizikas, 34, is currently occupying the wing on the fourth line alongside rookies Calum Ritchie and Max Shabanov. 

Cizikas seeing less and less time

What has been most concerning regarding Cizikas’ play this season is Patrick Roy’s reluctance to deploy the veteran in late-game situations. In Sunday night’s defeat to the white-hot Colorado Avalanche, the Isles entered the third period trailing by a goal. Chasing a game-tying goal, Cizikas played just one shift in the final stanza before the Avs scored an empty netter to take a two-goal advantage. His second and only other shift came in the waning moments when the game was already out of reach. 

In the Isles’ last three games, three matchups against tough opponents, including the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth, in addition to the Avs, Cizikas recorded his three lowest TOI of the season, playing 6:47, 7:26, and 5:37, respectively. 

While on the penalty kill, a position Cizikas has been a stalwart for years, he’s seldom deployed, as Bo Horvat, Simon Holmstrom, JG Pageau, and Kyle Palmieri are all currently preferred.

Cizikas’ struggles are becoming a cause for concern for the Islanders, with unnecessary turnovers and poor positioning. If his poor play continues, there’s a chance he could find himself in the press box at times rather than on the ice.