Concern for Alexander Romanov as NY Islanders D exits game with undisclosed injury

Alexander Romanov's return to the New York Islanders lineup was talked about throughout the offseason almost like an addition in itself. After playing only 15 games last season, getting their physical defenseman back healthy could be viewed as something resembling a trade or free-agent signing.

Three games into the season, the Islanders may already be facing life without him again.

Romanov did not play the final 12:04 of Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden after leaving with an apparent injury. There was no obvious play that caused it, and Pete DeBoer didn't have much information afterward.

"Still being evaluated," DeBoer said.

That's enough to make Islanders fans nervous considering Romanov's recent history. The 26-year-old underwent shoulder surgery after appearing in only 15 games last season and also missed nearly 20 games the previous year while dealing with injuries.

Romanov's return hadn't been seamless, either. He openly admitted struggling during his first preseason game after 10 months away and has still been working to rediscover his game through the opening weeks of the season.

Now the concern is whether that process will be interrupted again.

Logan Stanley absorbed some of Romanov's minutes Tuesday and finished with 19:21 of ice time. DeBoer called Stanley "one of our better defensemen tonight," but losing Romanov for any extended period would create another decision on the blue line.

Isaiah George and Kashawn Aitcheson would immediately become names to watch if the Islanders need a call-up before Thursday's game against Chicago. George entered training camp as a candidate for the third pair, while Aitcheson impressed enough during camp to remain in the conversation. However, Scott Mayfield is the most likely candidate to slide back into the lineup after being pushed out by Stanley to start the season.

The Islanders spent the offseason counting Romanov's return among the reasons their defense could be better without making a major outside addition.

Three games in, they're now waiting to find out whether they'll actually have him

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