The New York Islanders were busy Thursday morning, placing forwards Casey Cizikas, Andrew Ladd and Matt Martin on injured reserve and recalling forwards Michael Dal Colle and Stephen Gionta from the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the transactions and head coach Barry Trotz told reporters in New York there might be more lineup changes prior to their game against the Rangers.
Cizikas is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a lower-body injury, while Ladd is considered out indefinitely as he also deals with a lower-body injury. Their IR placements are each retroactive to Nov. 13 when they last played.
Trotz told reporters Wednesday that both Ladd and Cizikas were “nicked up” and he wasn’t certain if they’d be able to suit up against the Rangers. The exact nature of their injuries has not been announced by the team.
Martin, meanwhile, is now considered day-to-day after being put on IR retroactive to Nov. 1 with an upper-body injury. The fourth liner already has three goals in 11 games this season which matches his goal total from one season ago when he played 50 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dal Colle was taken fourth overall by the Islanders in 2014 but has only played in four regular-season NHL games. The 22-year-old has gotten off to a strong start to the 2018-19 campaign with seven goals and seven assists in 14 games with the Sound Tigers. Gionta has one assist in three AHL games this season.
The streaking Thomas Greiss is expected to start in net for the Islanders Thursday.
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