Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin was suspended for one game following his cross-check to the face of Connor Dewar in the final seconds of Thursday night’s loss to the Penguins.
Drouin, who was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct following a review, was given a phone hearing by the Department of Player Safety and promptly suspended.
He will be eligible to return on Monday afternoon against the Jets.
The suspension punches a hole into the Islanders’ top six for Saturday’s home opener against the Capitals and opens up an immediate question for coach Patrick Roy.
After the four lines Roy used Thursday night seemed to achieve the Islanders’ desired lineup balance, he’ll need to decide not only who of Marc Gatcomb or Kyle MacLean — the two extra forwards who did not dress Thursday — should come into the lineup, but how to juggle the lines while keeping that balance intact.
Max Tsyplakov or Anthony Duclair, both of whom played Thursday on the fourth line, both look like candidates to jump into Drouin’s spot on the second line.
That would allow Gatcomb or MacLean to play on the fourth line, where their games are a natural fit.
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