Romanov has missed 13 games this season due to various upper-body injuries.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov has missed 13 games this season across three different stretches due to upper-body injuries. 

The Islanders have gone 4-7-2 without No. 28 in the lineup and will need him to stay healthy with his defense partner, Noah Dobson, out week-to-week with a lower-body injury:

Following Thursday's practice, The Hockey News asked Romanov about how frustrating a season this has become for him, given his struggles to stay in the lineup 

"Yeah, the worst thing a player can have is injuries. You're in shape, you play good 10-11 games, you start the season, and then you get injured," Romanov said. "The hardest part to getting injured in the first part of the season when, after 10 games, everyone is just starting to grow, building team chemistry between defense pairs and lines and you're injured and you miss 13 games, and then you gotta jump back in. And you have to be at the same level as your team. 

"So, yeah, it's like waves. You know, you're in great shape, and then you fall off."

In Apr. of 2023, Romanov suffered a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. 

His absence at times last season and this season has to do with different upper-body injuries, but none related to that shoulder. 

"No, no, no. I heard a lot of fans talking about my shoulder," Romanov said. "My shoulder is healthy, and I have no issues with my shoulder."

"It's just like different injuries, like, I broke something...it doesn't really matter, but it's not the same injury [from when] I got hurt against Tampa."

Romanov thinks his injury-riddled season is behind him. 

Since his latest three-game stint out of the lineup, returning against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 18, Romanov has looked like the two-way threat we've seen often this season.

And with the Islanders seven points out of a wild-card spot, they'll need Romanov to continue playing that two-way game if they want any chance of sneaking into a wild-card spot with time not on their side. 

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