New York Islanders defenceman Ryan Pulock is injured and expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower body injury. The Islanders announced this news earlier today.
#Isles Injury Update: Ryan Pulock is out 4-6 weeks with a lower body injury.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 17, 2021
Ryan Pulock Injured, Out Four To Six Weeks
The righty defenceman has been a mainstay on the Islanders’ blue line for years. He’s consistently played a majority of the season for multiple years, producing on offence and defence. Through 12 games this season, Pulock has two assists and starts a majority of his faceoffs in the offensive zone. His Corsi For percentage is 47.7%, with a positive 3.9 relative Cosi. Over his seven years career in New York, Pulock has played in 302 contests, scored 33 goals, assisted on 94, racking up 127 points. Impressively, Pulock has only sat in the penalty box for 63 minutes in those 302 games. He’s been above 0.0 in his relative Corsi in a majority of his seasons.
How the Islanders Adjust
Having Ryan Pulock injured is a massive blow to the Islanders’ team as a whole. He plays the second-most minutes per game on average out of skaters and is on the ice in the final minutes of a close game. His partner, Adam Pelech, plays nearly the same minutes as Pulock but produces about half of the offence. This last name alliteration defensive pairing has been terrorizing opposing offences for multiple seasons. Without half of this deadly combination, the Islanders could slide down the hill even more.
Already sitting at last in the Metropolitan Division, the Islanders are off to a very slow start. Many predicted this team to do well this season, maybe ending at the top of their division. While it is only 13 games in for this team, they are running out of time to claw their way back. Losing Pulock for this long may be the beginning of the end of the Islanders’ playoff hopes.
Main Photo:
