The New York Islanders decided that rookie forward Cal Ritchie will miss the first few games of the season after a lower‑body injury in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Philadelphia Flyers. Ritchie, 20, is expected to be out 1–2 weeks, and the team’s NHL roster deadline is on Monday, the day before their opening‑night game in Pittsburgh.
Because of the deadline, it looks very likely that Ritchie won’t make the 23‑man roster for the season’s start. The Islanders are already playing six centers – Bo Horvat, Mat Barzal, JG Pageau, Casey Cizikas, Max Tsyplakov and a fresh addition – so there is no obvious spot for Ritchie at center. While Coach Patrick Roy said Ritchie could also play wing, the lineup is already full at that position.
The likely outcome is that Ritchie will be assigned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the American Hockey League (AHL). He has never played in the AHL, but the team prefers to let him develop in the minors rather than slot him in as a spare forward on the main roster. Ritchie is waivers‑exempt, so the Islanders can move him to Bridgeport without risking losing another player.
Another roster factor is the return of defenseman Pierre Engvall from hip surgery. Engvall is still missing practice, so his spot is not yet decided. If he returns late, the Islanders may need to shuffle a few more players, perhaps moving Isaiah George or one of the two extra forwards, Kyle MacLean or Marc Gatcomb, to keep the roster balanced.
In short, the injury to Cal Ritchie and the approaching roster deadline mean the Islanders will likely leave him in the AHL for the start of the season, with his returning to the NHL depending on his recovery and the team’s needs as the regular season kicks off.
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