Islanders Send Struggling Travis Mitchell to AHL, Replacement Still Unclear
The New York Islanders are set to make at least one lineup change for Friday’s game against Vancouver, after sending defenseman Travis Mitchell down to AHL Bridgeport on Wednesday.
Mitchell, who went undrafted out of Cornell, had been playing on the third pair for most of the last 10 games, but his performance has dropped off recently. In Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Red Wings, he and Scott Mayfield struggled defensively, with Mitchell finishing the game with a poor 18.6 expected goals percentage, according to Evolving Hockey.
However, it remains unclear who will take Mitchell’s place in the lineup. The Islanders did not announce a corresponding move on Wednesday and did not hold a practice, but there are a couple of potential options.
One possibility is to insert Adam Boqvist, who has been the team’s seventh defenseman recently, back into the lineup. This would add another puck-moving defenseman to the roster, which could help as the Islanders have struggled with offense. However, Boqvist’s defensive shortcomings have prevented him from becoming a regular in the lineup, so there may be hesitation in increasing his role.
Another option is to call someone up from AHL Bridgeport, likely Isaiah George or Marshall Warren. With only six defensemen currently on the roster, a call-up seems likely, even if Boqvist plays.
George, who was passed over for a call-up earlier this season in favor of Warren, recently returned from an upper-body injury and played in two wins for Bridgeport over the weekend in Canada. The 21-year-old had appeared in 33 games for the Islanders last season, impressing the organization with his poise and ability to quickly adjust to the NHL level.
Warren, who is also undrafted, played two games with the Isles in late October and scored his first NHL goal against the Flyers. His style is more stay-at-home compared to George, but both players would be considered more defensively inclined.
Unlike Boqvist, both George and Warren are natural left-handed defensemen. Islanders head coach Patrick Roy has been hesitant to play Boqvist on his off-side, as previous attempts have not gone well.
The Islanders will face the Canucks, who are currently last in the NHL, on Friday. Vancouver has won five straight games on Long Island dating back to November 2018. The Islanders will then take on the last-place team in the Eastern Conference, Buffalo, on Saturday, just 22 hours after facing Vancouver.
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