With the NHL deadline for teams to finalize their 23-man rosters coming at 3 p.m. tomorrow, the decisions the Islanders have to make got a little easier yesterday.
Nino Niederreiter and Trevor Gillies were both placed on the injured-reserve list, retroactive to Sept. 30 when they both suffered groin strains in a preseason game against the Devils.
Both are expected to miss opening night, Saturday at home against the Panthers, but are scheduled to return in seven to 10 days.
Niederreiter, the 19-year-old winger who was the No. 5 overall pick last year, was expected to make the team rather than be sent back to his junior club in the WHL, where he played the majority of this past season. He spent most of training camp skating on the top line with John Tavares and Matt Moulson, and he has played a lot more physical game than a year ago.
Gillies was slotted to be the team’s enforcer, having racked up 165 penalty minutes in 39 games last season.
The team currently has 26 active players on the roster, with former Devil Jay Pandolfo — a training-camp invitee — sitting squarely on the cut line.