Isles Day to Day: Ladd Out For Season

Andrew Ladd will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL, Isles President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello announced on Tuesday. Ladd will undergo surgery on his left knee this week and is expected to be sidelined for five months. The Islanders' winger sustained the injury on Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Coyotes at the NYCB Live Nassau Coliseum.
"He tore his ACL," Islanders GM and President Lou Lamoriello said. "He will be gone for the next five months or so. He will be operated on this week. It is not the same leg that he had hurt previous. It's the other leg, the other knee."

Ladd had 11 points (3G, 8A) through 26 games this season and is in the third year of his seven-year contract with the Islanders that was signed on July 1, 2016. Ladd was sidelined for three months earlier this season after sustaining a lower-body injury on Nov. 15.

"Ladd has had a tough year," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "It's unfortunate. I thought he started playing really well for us. It's a next man up mentality. That's what you do. We wish him the best in terms of recovery."
The 33-year-old veteran has occupied the right-wing spot on the Islanders second line alongside Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The news on Ladd comes six days after the news that veteran forward Valtteri Filppula will miss four weeks with an upper-body injury.
Michael Dal Colle, Tom Kuhnhackl and Ross Johnston are all options to fill Ladd's vacancy, per Trotz. Dal Colle was recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on March 5, played three games and was last in the Islanders lineup on March 9 against Philadelphia. Dal Colle has played in 23 games this season for the Islanders and has five points (2G, 3A). Kuhnhackl has nine points (4G, 5A) in 31 games this season, while Johnston has four points (1G, 3A) in 17 games.

"In playoffs you're going to have different people get hurt," Trotz said. "As I said, it's next man up mentality, stick with what we do and go from there."
"It's going to be an opportunity for someone," Trotz added.
The Islanders (95 points) are one-point pack of Washington (96 points) for first place in the Metropolitan Division with six games remaining in the regular season. The Islanders play their final regular season game against Columbus tonight Nationwide Arena.