New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov said on Apr. 15 that he was nearly ready to return from injury as the team’s season concluded.
Romanov’s comments came during the team’s breakup day, where he explained his recovery process and how close he was to rejoining the lineup. His absence had lasted since a shoulder injury sustained on Nov. 18, causing him to miss 65 games of the 2025-26 National Hockey League season.
“I was pretty close. I probably would play the playoffs if we would have made it,” Romanov said. “I mean, it was pretty early, but I think I would be able to play.”
The defenseman described watching most of the season from the sidelines as difficult. “[It’s] disgusting, terrible,” Romanov said. “It’s really tough to just watch hockey all season long. Just practicing and rehabbing, [but] that’s what I was dealing with.” He had resumed skating with teammates in late March and returned to full practice by April.
Looking ahead, Romanov expressed optimism about participating in Head Coach Pete DeBoer’s first training camp with the team and confidence in DeBoer’s leadership for next season. “[DeBoer’s] a smart coach,” Romanov said. “He knows what he is doing, and our mentors know what they’re doing too. They both just want to help this team, and I think Pete will improve this team a lot.”
Romanov finished his shortened campaign with one assist, 31 hits, 31 blocked shots and four takeaways over 15 games.
