NY Islanders banking on a slimmed down return as one of their biggest 'acquisitions'

The New York Islanders did not have to make a trade or spend in free agency to potentially improve their blue line this offseason.

They may simply need a healthy Alexander Romanov.

General manager Mathieu Darche spoke Tuesday about Romanov, who missed most of last season because of a shoulder injury, and sounded encouraged by what he has seen from the 26-year-old defenseman during his recovery.

In many ways, Darche appears to view Romanov’s return as one of the Islanders’ offseason acquisitions. “Romanov, he's been back for three weeks. He's 12 pounds lighter,” Darche said. “That's as good as I've seen him, the way he's moving on the ice. I challenged him at the end of the year, and he put in the work this summer.”

Romanov had been pushing toward a possible return late last season, but a setback altered that timeline. Darche said the Islanders initially believed Romanov could have been ready for Game 1 of the playoffs and later thought he might return midway through the first round had the team qualified.

That never happened.

Instead, Romanov received a full summer to recover, train and reshape his game physically.

“Now he looks great,” Darche said. “As I said, he slimmed down.”

That could be significant for an Islanders team trying to get back into the postseason under coach Peter DeBoer.

Romanov brings a physical element, mobility and defensive edge that the Islanders were missing for much of last season. If the lighter frame helps him move better without sacrificing what makes him effective, New York could be getting back a better version of a player already considered an important part of its defense.

There are still questions to answer once training camp begins.

But Darche’s early assessment is encouraging. The Islanders spent the offseason looking for ways to improve. Their hope is one of the biggest may have already been on the roster.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow