New York Islanders captain Anders Lee has suffered an upper-body injury that will sideline him between one and two weeks, the team announced on Wednesday.
The team was hitting the ice for just their fourth day of training camp when the news of Lee’s absence was made known. Head coach Patrick Roy said it was when he collided with the boards during Sunday’s preseason opener at UBS Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers.
While the team added that the timeline is precautionary, suggesting it is a minor issue, this could put the 35-year-old veteran winger’s start of the 2025-26 regular season in jeopardy should his rehab adhere to that timeframe. Lee is preparing for his 14th season with the Islanders. His 841 games rank ninth in team history, while his 289 goals rank sixth.
He is coming off a bounce-back campaign in which he scored 29 goals with 25 assists. It was his most productive season since scoring 40 goals in 2017-18, and it further indicates that he can still produce in a middle-six role.
But now while he recovers, Lee will miss a chunk of camp and preseason play, which could impact his availability for the very start of the new year should he need extra time to ramp up. This opens the door for 20-year-old Calum Ritchie, who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Brock Nelson trade, to make the team on opening night.
The Islanders also announced that winger Max Tsyplakov is day-to-day for maintenance purposes.
