With Kyle Palmieri [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/breaking-islanders-kyle-palmieri-has-acl-tear-out-for-season] out for the season after tearing his ACL, the New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles] have recalled forward Marc Gatcomb [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/likely-reason-why-islanders-waived-marc-gatcomb] from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Gatcomb, 26, played in 39 games for the Islanders last season, showcasing a combination of skillsets that the Islanders were longing for. He's physical, is responsible defensively, can move up the ice but also brought a scoring touch, potting eight goals in 25 games, adding one assist. This season, Gatcomb played in just one game, the team's home-opener, a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. He was placed on waivers back on Oct. 22 because of his $900,000 cap hit. Before placing Pierre Engvall on LTIR -- he's out for the season with an ankle injury that required surgery -- the Islanders wanted to get as close to the cap ceiling so that they could take full advantage of LTIR. By waiving Gatcomb and calling up, at the time, Matthew Highmore ($775K) and Marshall Warren ($825K), the Islanders got as close to zero as possible. With Gatcomb up, the Islanders are no longer accruing cap space as they are exceeding the cap by $855,497, dipping into a little of Engvall's LTIR money. Likely Reason Why Islanders Waived Marc Gatcomb [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/427ab6d7-2b9f-44aa-bcf5-34af19a07c8a.jpeg] Likely Reason Why Islanders Waived Marc Gatcomb Islanders free up cap space and a roster spot by waiving Marc Gatcomb, paving the way for a crucial defenseman recall amidst Romanov's injury. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/likely-reason-why-islanders-waived-marc-gatcomb] In 15 games with Bridgeport, Gatcomb recorded eight points (four goals, four assists). We'll see if he gets into the lineup on Sunday when the Islanders battle the Capitals at 1 PM ET.
