New York Islanders: Why it might be time for a call-up soon – Kieffer Bellows?

The New York Islanders are off to a scorching start and have been holding their own. However, the stars are starting to align for a call-up.

The New York Islanders will enter Thursday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning sitting pretty atop the Metro Division standings.

So, to go along with the cliché, “if it ain’t broken don’t fix it,” it does not seem like the best idea to mess with any kind of chemistry right now.

However, the Isles find themselves in a situation, that one no one expected them to be in and that is a division leader as we near mid-November.

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In addition, the Isles are in another unique situation. They seem to have room to make a call-up from their team in Bridgeport to see if anyone can help them keep the ball rolling.

Obviously, making a call-up, no matter what player it would be, is risky. The Isles could either lose production from somewhere they have been getting it, like the bottom six.

But, to counter argue that, it is also risky not too because the Isles could end up stagnating and going back to their old losing ways as saw with this team last year.

The difference is Head Coach Barry Trotz and the Isles seem destined to keep rolling, but right now, the Isles are in a situation where no one knows what will happen.

Matt Martin is out once again. His injury might not be too long, but he is still missing multiple games now.

Also, Jordan Eberle missed practice, he is expected to play Thursday, but if there is even an ounce of concern about his health the Isles need to let him rest.

But, this is not even as much about the NHL team, as it is the AHL team. The Sound Tigers are rolling right now and getting consistent production from Josh Ho-Sang, Michael Dal Colle, and Kieffer Bellows.

There was a 7-2 win on Wednesday, which followed an eight-goal showing a few nights before.

I know what some people might be thinking. It seems nuts to tear these kids apart and give them the challenge of playing in the NHL when they are rolling in the AHL.

These hot games are only a small sample of games, but Bellows also looked great in camp, Ho-Sang showed doses last year, and the Isles just have a deep farm system in general.

The whole point of the AHL is to develop players, let them get reps, play hockey until they can help the Isles at the highest level.

There is no point in keeping any one of these players in the AHL for too long if they are going off, the point is for them to help the Islanders succeed.

If the Isles call up one of these players, even if it is Josh Ho-Sang again, then it could pay dividends.

The youth movement does not seem to be something Lou Lamoriello or Barry Trotz is interested in, but it could pay off.

If the Isles are in a situation come the deadline where they seem playoff bound, it helps them to have their prospects have more NHL time, or it might allow them to strike gold and the team will get even better in general.

Even when Matt Martin comes back, there is room to thrust one of these players in the bottom six, or even as a sub.

It is no longer having them up for the sake of calling one of them up. The Isles are winning, the Sound Tigers are winning. One of these players could be a great insurance player for the Isles.

The lines are all contributing for the Isles as they enter this Thursday’s game in Tampa riding a seven-game point streak.

The Isles might not need to per se, but they should give the call-up to a prospect. It will help with the injuries and it also might surprise us how talented some of these players are.

It would be the icing on the cake to what has been an amazing start for the Isles if one of the highly touted prospects coming out of camp joins this winning team and helps.

The Isles are about to enter the stretch of the season where we find out just how real or fake they are. Why not do the same for some of these players lighting it up in the AHL as well. They are one injury away from their being a genuine need for talent too.