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Why The Islanders Placed Matias Maccelli & Cal Ritchie On Injured Reserve & Paper Recalled Kashawn Aitcheson & Pierre Engvall

Matias Maccelli and Cal Ritchie hit the shelf as roster holes widen for New York. With no immediate replacements called up, the shorthanded squad faces a looming depth crisis.

The Hockey News

Published: Monday, 26 October 2026 at 7:33 PM

Key Things to Know

The New York Islanders made paper recalls for Kashawn Aitcheson and Pierre Engvall to optimize potential LTIR cap relief.
Injured forwards Matias Maccelli and Cal Ritchie were placed on Injured Reserve retroactive to October 17.
Aitcheson and Engvall are not playing and will be sent down immediately following the paper transaction.

The Story in 60 Seconds

The New York Islanders announced multiple roster moves on Monday, placing injured forwards Matias Maccelli and Cal Ritchie on Injured Reserve retroactive to October 17. Concurrently, the team completed paper recalls for defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson and forward Pierre Engvall. Neither Aitcheson nor Engvall will play in an NHL game, and both are expected to be reassigned immediately after the roster maneuver.

The strategic transactions were executed to maximize the franchise's potential Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) relief and manage performance-bonus pools. By adding Engvall's contract and Aitcheson's $500,000 performance bonus to the roster, the Islanders can push closer to the salary-cap ceiling without halting daily cap space accrual, preserving future trade deadline flexibility.

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