New York Islanders Dealt Blow as Alexander Romanov Tears ACL

The New York Islanders announced that defenseman Alexander Romanov will miss 6-8 months after tearing his right ACL. The 26-year-old was injured during the third period of Tuesday's 5-2 loss following an awkward collision with Mika Zibanejad, missing the final 12:04 of the game. Romanov is expected to be placed on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve.

This marks Romanov's second consecutive long-term injury, having been limited to just 15 games last season due to a shoulder injury. Given the recovery timeline, Romanov will miss the rest of the regular season and would only be eligible to return if the Islanders qualify for the postseason.