Kyle Palmieri Suffers Knee Injury and Will Be Out for Several Months
New York Islanders veteran forward Kyle Palmieri suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee last Friday. This will keep him off the ice for an estimated period of six to eight months, the team announced on Saturday. The injury occurred during the second period of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers, which ended in a 4-3 shootout loss. Despite the injury, Palmieri managed a standout assist. He tangled with Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale while battling for the puck near the boards. Although visibly limping, Palmieri stole the puck from defenseman Emil Andrae and passed the puck to Jonathan Drouin, who assisted Emil Heineman for a goal. Palmieri was credited with an assist while being helped off the ice by trainers. He did not return for the third period, and coach Patrick Roy commented to reporters that the situation did not look good for the veteran player.Palmieri, 34 years old, is tied for second on the team with 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games. The player is in the first year of a two-year, $9.5 million contract he signed with the Islanders in May. Palmieri, a New York native, is playing his 16th NHL season and has scored 276 goals and 545 points in 925 games with the Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Islanders. Before the injury, Palmieri had played in 223 consecutive games.“What a valiant effort on his part,” Captain Anders Lee told reporters after the game. “Going through a lot of pain, he’s one of the toughest teammates I know. It costs him to feel pain and fall, but you can also see how strong he is to fight and make a great play.”
Anders Lee
