NY Islanders confirm Alex Romanov needs shoulder surgery and will miss 5-6 months

What New York Islanders fans feared the moment Alex Romanov stayed down on the ice in Dallas has now been confirmed, and it’s about as bad as expected. The Islanders announced that Romanov will undergo surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to miss five to six months, a crushing loss for a team that had been building real momentum through November.

Romanov was injured late in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Stars after a dangerous hit from behind by Mikko Rantanen. Patrick Roy didn’t hide his frustration with the play or the league’s response. “He’s not happy, there’s no doubt about it,” Roy said. “We didn’t have the same opinion of the league when that happened, but we have to move on.”

It’s a gut punch for the Islanders. Romanov had been averaging nearly 20 minutes a night (19:27), leading the team in both hits (31) and blocks (31), and anchoring a shutdown role next to Ryan Pulock. Losing him for essentially the rest of the regular season — and possibly the playoffs — leaves a massive hole on the blue line.

With Romanov out, Adam Boqvist has drawn into the lineup the last two games, and Roy made it clear he’ll get every opportunity to seize the moment. “You don’t replace a player like [Romanov], but you hope that the guys coming in will fit in,” Roy said. “Hopefully Boqvist will play like he’s been playing. It’s an opportunity for him, and he needs to take advantage of it.”

Boqvist has one assist in eight games and brings a more offensive look, something Roy believes can be a strength — if he handles the other side of the puck. “He’s a guy that supports the rush,” Roy said. “We want him to keep doing that, but also defend well. Use his speed on entries, take hits, make plays under pressure — those are things we want to see him continue to do.”

Call-up Marshall Warren, who impressed in Bridgeport, is also in the mix to play meaningful minutes.

But make no mistake: this is a brutal loss. Romanov is not just a minutes-eater — he is an identity-setter. And the Islanders will now have to navigate the heart of their season without him.