It’s bad news regarding New York Islanders’ Adam Pelech, as the team announced the defenseman will be out the remainder of the regular season after suffering an Achilles injury. Sebastian Aho has been recalled from Bridgeport to take his place.
While Pelech may not have a ton of name recognition around the league, this is a devastating loss for the Islanders who rely on him every night to anchor their tight defensive unit. The 25-year old has been playing on the top pairing and averaging more than 21 minutes a night, while also logging huge numbers on the penalty kill. That kind of a defensive presence will be impossible to replace, even if Aho does look ready to contribute at the NHL level.
The Islanders will be tested without Pelech in the lineup and the Metropolitan Division is not forgiving this season. Even though they sit in second place, New York is just seven points ahead of the seventh-place Columbus Blue Jackets.
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