New York Islanders Ryan Pulock Injury Timeline Revealed in Latest Roster News

October 17, 2026; Toronto, Ontario; New York Islanders defenceman Ryan Pulock (6) shoots the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Levi Pike, EditorThe New York Islanders received another discouraging injury update on Sunday. The team announced that the defenceman Ryan Pulock injury will take about two to four weeks of recovery time. It is listed as an upper-body injury, making it five NHL regulars who are now on injured reserve in Long Island.Ryan Pulock Injury Deals Blow to Islanders DefencePulock suffered his injury early in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. He left after two shifts totaling 51 seconds of ice time. Prior to his injury, Pulock recorded an assist for his lone point of the season in 13 games. It has been a rough go for him defensively, with his Corsi-for percentage sitting at 35.1%, suggesting more attempts are created by the opposition compared to his team when he’s on the ice.January 28, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) deflects a puck in front go New York Islanders goaltender David Rittich (33) during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn ImagesEven with his negative regression, Pulock has a track record of being one of the team’s top defencemen. In 649 games, Pulock has totaled 56 goals and 186 assists for 242 points in , consistently playing on the top two pairs alongside Adam Pelech. That and with Peter DeBoer’s arrival as new head coach, it’s possible he could return to his form of old as his structure-based game plan took hold on the ice. However, the results for Pulock will have to wait until his return from the shelf.In contrast, his departure is now the second defenceman the Islanders will be short in the immediate future. Following their game against the New York Rangers on Oct. 6, the Islanders lost Alexander Romanov for the season with a torn ACL, less than a year after suffering another season-ending injury. Between the two, the Islanders will be without 1,021 games of NHL experience at the blue line in the short term, putting additional weight on the team’s defensive depth.Since Romanov’s absence, Matthew Kessel and Scott Mayfield have rotated in and out of the lineup as depth on the bottom pair. However, with Pulock now out of the question, the pressure will be on those two and a newer face in Logan Stanley to hold down the fort behind top star Matthew Schaefer.The Latest Islanders Injury ReportThe injury news for the Islanders doesn’t end at the point, as three names at forward are also absent for New York. Most notably, star forward Mathew Barzal has been out since the end of training camp with a lower-body injury; he has yet to play in a game this season. Furthermore, on October 17, the Islanders lost both Matias Maccelli and Calum Ritchie to lower-body injuries of their own, missing 2-4 and 4-6 weeks upon diagnosis.DeBoer gave updates on all three players prior to Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Barzal has remained skating on his own after his early-season shutdown, but he has yet to rejoin the team in practice. Maccelli has resumed skating, meaning his return could be coming soon, but Ritchie has yet to take to the ice since his injury.Ahead of the game, Isaiah George was recalled from the Hamilton Hammers of the AHL but was sent down on Sunday before the Islanders’ Thursday game against the Carolina Hurricanes. If the Islanders choose to recall George, he’d have to play one game in the AHL before returning to the big club.The Last WordThe Islanders have gotten off to a strong start to the season, picking up a 7-5-2 record as the calendar flips to November. However, their success has come as they’ve had to navigate several injuries at forward and the blue line. With Pulock out for a few weeks, there will be more pressure on the defence to keep the team afloat as they look to get healthy across the board.More NHL Articles:NHL Rumours: Is Montreal A Potential Destination for Nikita Kucherov?NHL Rumours: Nikita Kucherov Will Not Re-Sign With Tampa Bay Lightning, Requests TradeNHL Rumours: Maple Leafs Looking to Move Veteran ForwardMain Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images