NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Islanders reversed their plan to have Bo Horvat journey on the whole seven-game street journey that began in Nashville on Thursday, as a substitute leaving the centerman behind in New York the place it’s simpler for him to get remedy on his lower-body harm, normal supervisor Mathieu Darche mentioned Thursday earlier than the Islanders’ 2-1 shootout defeat to Predators.
At the very least in Darche’s telling, it was not made to sound like a setback for Horvat. The door remains to be open for Horvat to hitch the two-week journey in progress, and even play by the top of it.
“I positively anticipate him [back] method earlier than the Olympic break,” Darche mentioned of Horvat, who will symbolize Crew Canada in Milan. “I’d prefer to on the finish of this journey. If it’s not, it’s not the top of the world. Whether it is, good for us. We need to be sure that we do it proper so he doesn’t take a step again.”
If Horvat does meet the Islanders someplace down the road, Darche mentioned it could presumably be within the second half of the journey.
Horvat’s present harm, which appeared to be associated to his left aspect, is “related with out essentially being linked” to the difficulty that saved him out for 5 video games in December earlier than he bought harm once more on New 12 months’s Day, Darche mentioned.
“Our docs assume there’s a powerful probability it could’ve occurred [either way],” Darche mentioned. “He didn’t come again too early. That was his [fourth] sport, even the previous few days [beforehand] he wasn’t getting remedy on the earlier harm. It’s simply dangerous luck that it occurred to the identical a part of the physique.”
Defenseman Isaiah George, who has been coping with a lower-body harm at Bridgeport, is meant to play this weekend, in accordance with Darche.
Alexander Romanov (proper shoulder) has not but began to skate on his personal. Darche mentioned he’s “progressing actually, very well” and there’s a probability Romanov may return for a possible playoff run.
Whether or not Semyon Varlamov ever returns from a knee harm, and when that could be, stays unclear. Varlamov continues to work on his personal and has lately began dropping right into a stance extra, however Darche mentioned the Russian is just not factoring into his planning on the goaltender place.
“His scenario received’t have an effect on what I do with David [Rittich] proper now as a result of we don’t have an endgame proper now with Varly,” Darche mentioned.
Like Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Darche hasn’t but began discussing an extension with Rittich, who was signed to a one-year deal final offseason.
Rittich bought the beginning in web towards the Predators. Coach Patrick Roy mentioned the Islanders determined he would play earlier than Ilya Sorokin returned from harm with a 44-save shutout Tuesday, not desirous to overload Sorokin immediately.
