NY Islanders: 5 moments from Alexander Romanov you’ll love

Romanov buckles Jujhar Khaira

We'll start by saying no one wants to see anyone get hurt. Thankfully, Jujhar Khaira was okay after this big hit by Romanov. Ending off the Romanov-reel, in a game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Islanders' newest defenseman drew comparisons to the famous "Kronwall" hits Niklas Kronwall made so famous in his days with the Detroit Red Wings.

Khaira took the puck in transition from his end of the ice to the neutral zone looking to lead a rush to the Canadiens' end of the ice. Romanov does an excellent job lining Khaira up along the boards back-peddling in the Oilers' forwards direction. He stops moving his feet with plenty of distance in between the two of them in order to ensure he doesn't take a penalty and throws a hybrid hip/shoulder check to the hip-to-chest area of Khaira. The big, clean hit gave Khaira some trouble skating off the ice as he's dealt with head injuries before. However, it forced the puck out of Edmonton's possession and the Canadiens regained puck control.

Romanov has the knack for lining up hits that not only take the puck off the oppositions stick, but they also don't take him out of plays and put him out of position. In the event he finds himself out of position, his above average skating allows him to quickly recover and put himself back where he belongs.

The acquisition from Romanov flew under the radar with the anticipation that the Islanders were going to add more than just the Moscow, Russian native. However, Romanov makes the Islanders a better team and should help them be more reminiscent of the team that took the Lightning seven games in the Eastern Conference Final. These moments are just a few snippets of what Romanov can and will do with the Islanders with the potential he can blossom into an even better player.