The New York Islanders suffered a sizable loss when it was revealed that defenseman Alexander Romanov was going to miss 6 to 8 months of action because of a torn ACL.
This is the second consecutive campaign that will be cut short for Romanov after he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last November after 15 games played. Playing in only 18 games after signing a massive eight-year, $50 million extension is not what anyone envisioned, but the team must move on without him .
Taking his spot in the lineup is veteran Scott Mayfield, who was a healthy scratch through the first three games of the season. He played 12:32 in his season debut and made his presence felt with some physicality on the defensive end.
Mayfield had a successful debut, blocking one shot and handing out two hits. He made a positive impact when he was on the ice, with a 0.63 xGF and 0.34 xGA in 10:36 of 5-on-5 action while on the ice. His xGoal Share of 64.8% was amongst the highest of any skater in the game.
Oct 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov (28) passes the puck in the first period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With Mayfield being inserted into the lineup as the third-pairing partner for Tony DeAngelo, it shook up the rest of the pairings as well. Logan Stanley, who was signed days before the regular season began, moved up to the first pairing alongside Matthew Schaefer and responded well.
Stanley logged 23:51, which was the fourth-most minutes he played in a game in his career. It was his most action since Feb. 25, 2026, and he shared that he simplified his approach while playing alongside Schaefer.
His minutes played were so high in part because he played a key role in killing off all three power plays the Chicago Blackhawks had. He stuffed the stat sheet as well, recording two assists with three blocked shots and two hits.
Overall, head coach Peter DeBoer was really pleased with what he saw from his group of defensemen.
"I thought our whole D-core was really good tonight," DeBoer said, via NHL.com . "I liked how we broke the puck out, I liked how we defended. Maysie came in and gave us some solid minutes. I thought it was Tony DeAngelo's best game he's played here this year. I thought it was Pulock's best game this year so far. I thought Stan [Stanley] was excellent. Schaef and Pelly are consistently excellent every night. But I thought everyone else gave us some really good minutes tonight."
New York received four combined points from defensemen against the Blackhawks, and as a group, they collectively had a plus/minus ratio of +4 in a 4-1 victory , which included two goals from Bo Horvat .
Hopefully, they can keep that level of production up. Improved performance at the blueline will help the entire team, especially their goalies, avoid having to do too much of the heavy lifting.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/islanders/onsi as NY Islanders New-Look Defensive Pairings Shine Against Blackhawks .
