The New York Islanders placed winger Simon Holmstrom on injured reserve on Tuesday after missing the previous three games with an upper-body injury.
Considering the 23-year-old has already missed the required number of days (seven), if the team uses a retroactive designation, it does not necessarily add more time to his potential return.
Regardless, Holmstrom’s absence has been a noticeable one. The Swede had been one of the Islanders’ lone over-performers amidst a dreadful start this season. After recording 25 points in 75 games last season, the young winger has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in just 37 games — half the time — this year.
Holmstrom suffered the injury during the third period of a Dec. 29 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, which allowed Pierre Engvall to draw back into the lineup following a four-game healthy-scratch absence. In the second year of a seven-year contract, Engvall has fallen out of favor with head coach Patrick Roy, recording just three goals with four assists in 25 games.
For an Islanders team that has lost six of their last nine games and sits in seventh in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, they can ill-afford more time without a key contributor to their lineup. They already spent considerable stretches this season without two of their best playmaking forwards in Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair.
Holmstrom’s IR designation does not bode well for his status for New York’s upcoming west-coast road trip, which includes stops in Las Vegas on Thursday and Utah on Saturday before returning home on Jan. 14 against the Ottawa Senators.
For more on Simon Holmstrom and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com
Kcassman