Islanders' Cal Clutterbuck may be close to returning
Cal Clutterbuck of the Islanders celebrates his second-period goal against the Golden Knights at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on Dec. 5, 2019. Credit: Jim McIsaac
DENVER — The Islanders, missing defenseman Adam Pelech, fourth-liners Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas and now, potentially, center Derick Brassard, may come home to some positive injury news.
Coach Barry Trotz said the hope is Clutterbuck can resume practicing with the team next week. The fourth line right wing has been out since his left wrist was slashed by Patrice Bergeron’s skate blade on Dec. 19 at Boston. Clutterbuck underwent surgery the next day to repair tendon damage.
“I don’t have a real accurate report, but Clutter has made good progress,” Trotz said before the Islanders concluded an 0-4-0 Western road trip with a 3-1 loss to the Avalanche on Wednesday night at Pepsi Center. “When we get back, I’d say, probably by Monday or so, he’d probably maybe start to skate with us.”
Trotz did not have an immediate update on Brassard, who was hit in the head by defenseman Ryan Pulock’s wrist shot at 14:50 of the first period and did not return.
He did report Cizikas, who suffered a left leg laceration on Feb. 11 when he was cut by Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov’s skate blade and was expected to miss three to four weeks, is doing upper-body workouts off-ice but has not resumed skating.
Pelech suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury on Jan. 2.
Isles files
Defenseman Scott Mayfield, who grew up in St. Louis but played two seasons of college hockey for Denver and now resides here in the offseason along with his immediate family, was a minus-2 in 19:54 in his third NHL game at Colorado . . . Mathew Barzal set a season-high for ice time for a second straight game, logging 24:59 with four shots and a missed breakaway at 12:30 of the second period after playing 24:35 in Monday’s 2-1 loss at Arizona . . . Defenseman Ryan Pulock logged 21:35 after getting a maintenance day off from Tuesday’s practice.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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