The New York Islanders have some more bad news on the injury front as they prepare for the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The team announced on Friday morning that forward Anders Lee is going to be sidelined indefinitely with a broken left fibula.
#Isles Injury Update: Anders Lee is out indefinitely with a broken left fibula.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 8, 2016
There is no timetable for his return to the lineup at this point, but it is quite possible, if not likely, that his season is finished no matter how deep into the postseason the Islanders are able to go.
Lee, 25, is a valuable net-front presence for the Islanders and had been playing some of his best hockey of the season over the past month. His 15 goals on the season are the fifth most on the team.
He was injured during the Islanders' 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night when he was hit in the leg by a shot from teammate Johnny Boychuk.
The Islanders are already dealing with some pretty significant injuries at this point including Travis Hamonic, one of their top defenseman, forwards Mikhail Grabovski, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck, and starting goalie Jaroslav Halak.
Hamonic will not play again during the regular season, while Halak is trying to work his way back into the lineup after being sidelined since Mar. 8 with a groin injury. The timetable for Grabovski, Martin and Clutterbuck to return is not yet known.
Entering the playoffs with a healthy roster is a major factor in how far a team can go, and right now the Islanders' roster is far from healthy.
The good news for the Islanders is they have already clinched their playoff spot. But where they finish in the standings and who they play in the first round has yet to be determined.
As of Friday morning the Islanders are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, just ahead of the New York Rangers because the Islanders have played fewer games. If they are able to hold that position they would play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. They still have two games remaining this weekend, playing the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and then the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, while the Rangers have one game remaining on Saturday against the Detroit Red WIngs.
If they are unable to hold on to the third spot in the Metropolitan Division they would be the first wild card team and get a first-round matchup with the Florida Panthers.
