NY Islanders dealing with early adversity as they host Chicago Blackhawks at UBS

The New York Islanders return to UBS Arena Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, looking to get back in the win column after Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers. But the bigger story heading into the matchup is how the Islanders respond to another devastating injury to Alexander Romanov.

Romanov, who missed most of last season following shoulder surgery, suffered a torn ACL against the Rangers and will miss six to eight months. It's a crushing setback for the 26-year-old defenseman, who had worked his way back only to face another lengthy rehabilitation.

His absence opens the door for Scott Mayfield, who is expected to make his season debut alongside Tony DeAngelo. Head coach Pete DeBoer also shuffled his defensive pairings, putting Logan Stanley alongside Matthew Schaefer while keeping Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock together.

There was some encouraging news Thursday morning, as Mat Barzal skated on his own for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury. Barzal remains out, but it's a positive development for an Islanders team missing its most dynamic offensive player.

Thursday also brings an interesting reunion between Islanders rookie Victor Eklund and Chicago's Anton Frondell. The longtime Swedish teammates developed together with Djurgårdens and helped Sweden capture the 2026 World Junior Championship. Now they'll face each other in the NHL for the first time.

Chicago arrives following its first win of the season, a 4-2 victory over St. Louis, but remains without Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen.

Ilya Sorokin is expected to start for the Islanders, who could use a strong performance after dropping a competitive game against their biggest rival.

With Romanov out long-term and Barzal still recovering, the Islanders will need others to step forward. Thursday night offers an early opportunity to show they can handle some adversity.

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