Islanders still have decisions to make for final 23-man roster
Islanders right wing Colin McDonald looks on during Group A training camp at Nassau Coliseum on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Islanders spent Sunday at Adventureland, hosting fans for charity. On Monday it's back to work, with two new faces on defense and a few crucial roster moves to make.
Monday is the final day for players to be placed on waivers for the purpose of cutting down to the final 23-man roster that must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday. With the status of five injured Islanders, including four defensemen, still up in the air, Monday could be a crazy day for some of the bubble players still around.
Of course, there are two fewer spots on defense thanks to Garth Snow's big moves on Saturday. The Islanders added Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins and Nick Leddy from the Blackhawks, vastly improving the defense and limiting the number of spots up for grabs.
Lubomir Visnovsky (back), Calvin de Haan (upper body) and Ryan Pulock (lower body) could return to practice, but whether any of them will be ready for Friday's season opener in Carolina is still a mystery.
The additions of Leddy and Boychuk almost certainly mean that Griffin Reinhart will be headed to Bridgeport to start the season. Pulock, another rookie, could also be headed to the AHL as soon as he's healthy. Neither of those two requires waivers.
Only a few spots remain to be decided among the forwards. Anders Lee, Eric Boulton and Colin McDonald were the extra forwards during Saturday's practice. Lee does not need waivers but the other two do.
Notes & quotes: The Blue Jackets claimed Jack Skille off waivers Sunday. Skille, 27, signed a two-way deal with the Islanders on July 1 and now goes back to Columbus, where he played last season. Goaltender Kevin Poulin cleared waivers along with three others and will report to Bridgeport's camp.
