What happened: The New York Islanders announced that defenseman Ryan Pulock will miss two to four weeks due to an upper-body injury. The timeline formalizes his absence after he was initially sidelined in late October.

Why it matters: Pulock plays significant minutes on New York's blue line at even strength and on the penalty kill. His multi-week absence forces the Islanders to reconfigure their defensive pairings during the opening month of the 2026-27 regular season.

What to watch: The Islanders will look to internal depth options on defense while monitoring Pulock's recovery over the next month.