Why the NY Islanders are unlikely to put Alexander Romanov on LTIR

Alexander Romanov may be out for the next six to eight months, but don't expect the New York Islanders to rush into placing the defenseman on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). As strange as that might sound, there's a pretty good financial reason for keeping him off it.

The Islanders simply don't need the cap relief right now.

Despite carrying 24 players, including Mat Barzal on injured reserve, the Islanders entered the season with approximately $2.5 million in available cap space. With eight defensemen already on the roster, there's little reason to believe Mathieu Darche will need to make an immediate call-up to replace Romanov.

But the bigger consideration isn't necessarily this season. It's next summer.

Darche has repeatedly pointed to the roughly $40 million in projected cap flexibility the Islanders could have next offseason. And part of protecting that number involves managing the performance bonuses that could come due this year.

Matthew Schaefer alone could earn as much as $3.5 million in bonuses, while Victor Eklund and Cal Ritchie could combine for another $750,000. That's potentially $4.25 million in additional obligations.

Here's where LTIR becomes a factor.

If the Islanders use LTIR relief to exceed the salary cap and cannot fully absorb those bonuses, the resulting overage would count against next season's cap. That's money Darche would much rather have available when he's looking to reshape the roster.

Of course, injuries could change the equation. If several more players go down, LTIR becomes a valuable option.

But for now, the Islanders have enough roster depth and cap flexibility to avoid it. There's no reason to sacrifice future spending power just because Romanov is eligible.

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