Nick Leddy Out At Least Two Weeks For New York Islanders

The New York Islanders have hit a little bit of a rough patch recently. Since their four-game winning streak in the middle of February they have a losing record of 6-3-4, jostling with the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan division. Part of the struggles could be attributed to the injury of Kyle Okposo, who is still second on the team in points despite playing only 47 out of 69 games. Okposo though just made his return to the ice Tuesday against the Rangers. Unfortunately for the Islanders, they will now lose another key piece as defenseman Nick Leddy will be sidelined with an upper-body injury for at least two weeks.

Leddy, whom the Islanders acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the season, was injured in the game Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs and sat out against the Rangers Wednesday. The acquisition of Leddy, coupled with the trade that landed the Islanders Johnny Boychuk, is one of the biggest reasons for the Islanders turnaround this season after being a bottom feeder for much of the past decade. It is also one of the reasons the Islanders locked Leddy up to a massive seven-year, $38.5 million contract about two weeks ago.

This is a blow to the Islanders, as Leddy was one of only six players to appear in every game prior to Tuesday’s matchup with the Rangers. Leddy was having a strong season with the Islanders, scoring 10 goals with 19 assists, ranking him 37th among defensemen in points. He also plays the fourth most minutes per game.

It will take a team effort to replace the production of Leddy, who also is tied for second on the team in +/- with Boychuk at 17, trailing only the 19 of Ryan Strome. Brian Strait and Thomas Hickey are two players that will need to step up with Leddy out of the lineup and will probably receive some extended playing time as a result as well.

This injury couldn’t have come at much worse time for the Islanders, as they are making their final push for the division crown and every game is of the utmost importance. In the projected two weeks that Leddy is supposed to miss, they will play a rather difficult schedule. Of the five games, four of the teams, the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild, are all in the playoffs or fighting for their playoff lives. The fifth game is a visit to the New Jersey Devils, which is never a cake walk against a division foe and rival. That’s following the first game Leddy already missed, a loss to the Rangers Wednesday.

The Islanders will be tested right off the bat without Leddy, as they will play a back-to-back set starting Friday, first against the Senators and then Saturday against the Canadiens. While winning the division would be nice for the Islanders, as it would result in a higher seed in the playoffs, getting Leddy healthy should be their number one concern.

The Islanders are virtually a lock for the postseason, as they currently sit 16 points ahead of the ninth place Florida Panthers. With that type of cushion, the Islanders can afford to let Leddy rest beyond the two-week timetable if need be. Getting him healthy for a run in the postseason, not a quicker return for the regular season, should be what the Islanders are thinking.

Next: Are the Islanders closer to a title than the Rangers?

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