There are just under two weeks until the new NHL season begins. This is not the time that you want to be dealing with injury news. However, that is what we have here for the New York Islanders. The team announced today that their captain, Anders Lee, will be sidelined for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury.
#Isles Injury Updates: Anders Lee is out 1-2 weeks with an upper body injury. Max Tsyplakov is day-to-day maintenance (he skated this morning).
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 24, 2025
Anders Lee Injury
Head coach Patrick Roy stated that the injury occurred on Sunday night during their pre-season game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Lee went down hard to the ice and into the boards. He played 16:03 minutes and did shoot in the shootout. Coach Roy said this is a precautionary timeline, and Lee is set to skate on his own tomorrow. However, with that timeline, it is a possibility that the team could be without him for their season opener. This is not what Lee needs entering the final season of his seven-year deal worth $7 million annually. The 33-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career as an Islander. General manager Mathieu Darche publicly stated that an extension for Lee will not come before the season. He has been essential to this team since being drafted and would likely be looking to extend at season’s end.
What Does This Mean
For the Islanders, if Lee has to miss regular-season games, it would be a massive loss for the team. Not just from an on-ice perspective, where he has produced four straight seasons of 20+ goals. Moreover, it is a big loss off the ice as well. Lee has captained the team for the last seven seasons. He is the leader of the locker room and is essential to what this team does. As far as the lineup is concerned, Lee has been skating alongside Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri on the top line. Replacing top-line players is not an easy thing to do, and it remains to be seen how Roy would juggle the lines if need be.
One possibility to consider is having Calum Ritchie stick around with the main team. Ritchie, who scored in Sunday’s preseason, was acquired for Brock Nelson at the deadline last season. The 20-year-old has a lot of potential and is certainly a part of the team’s plans. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to see what he could do with an extended run at the NHL level. Another possibility would be moving someone with experience playing with Barzal up. Anthony Duclair fits that mould. The speedy wingers’ play style meshes well with Barzal, we have seen it already. However, no matter which way you slice it, Lee’s toughness and leadership are irreplaceable.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
