More lineup changes for Islanders

Another day on the Islanders' roster merry-go-round: One regular is out, one is likely back and another is awaiting a possible suspension from the NHL.

Casey Cizikas did not accompany the team for its two-game Central Division swing this week after suffering an upper-body injury in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Blues. Cizikas left that game in the third period after being on the tail end of a pinball collision: Thomas Hickey laid out the Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko, who went flying. Tarasenko's stick appeared to catch Cizikas across the head.

With Cizikas out and key defensemen Travis Hamonic (upper body) and Johnny Boychuk (upper body) still sidelined, coach Jack Capuano did more juggling at Monday's practice in advance of Tuesday night's game against the Wild in St. Paul.

Ryan Strome, who is in the midst of a terrific second NHL season, took Cizikas' spot as the fourth-line center between Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. Winger Josh Bailey, who missed the past two games with a sore foot/ankle, slotted back in on the second line with Mikhail Grabovski and Frans Nielsen. Winger Michael Grabner, back two games after missing two months because of hernia surgery, took Strome's spot with Anders Lee and Brock Nelson on the third line.

Strome's reassignment is far from a demotion. "He put up a lot of points last year playing with Matty and Colin McDonald," Capuano said. "The great thing about Ryan is he can handle any assignment, as many minutes as I can give him. He may start there but he'll move around."

Strome might have to move again if Lee isn't available. Just after the Islanders touched down, Lee had a phone hearing with the NHL department of player safety regarding his elbow to Carl Gunnarsson's head on Saturday. No hearing had been scheduled after the Saturday afternoon game or Sunday, though Gunnarsson clearly was concussed by the accidental, unpenalized elbow.

While the Islanders wait for word on Lee, there is some good news: Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, out the past four games with an upper-body injury, practiced fully and likely will be back Tuesday night. The Islanders had been strong without three of their top four defensemen in back-to-back wins over the Senators, but three power-play goals and a missed assignment late in a 4-4 game undid them on Saturday.

"We just have to come out [Tuesday night] and play the way we know we have to play," Capuano said. "We were a little undisciplined with our sticks and you can't give up three on the power play. We didn't help our goaltender much."