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Mark Streit will miss six months with shoulder injury

Pittsburgh Penguins v New York Islanders

of the New York Islanders of the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Nassau Coliseum on April 11, 2010 in Uniondale, New York.

Bruce Bennett

Brutal news for the New York Islanders today: defenseman Mark Streit will miss six months because of a shoulder injury he suffered during a team scrimmage yesterday, according to New York Newsday’s Katie Strang.

According to multiple sources, Islanders defenseman Mark Streit is out six months with an injured left shoulder and will likely require surgery. Initial test results indicate a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff, but the 32-year-old defenseman may have also suffered a dislocation.

Strang notes on Twitter that Streit may seek a second opinion on the matter, but I imagine that the Islanders are now simply looking at their other options. Strang wrote that the team will look into training camp tryouts, while
Greg Wyshynski points out that Streit’s injury (and the massive amount of salary cap space the Islanders have right now) might give the Edmonton Oilers a place to send Sheldon Souray.

Streit is one of the NHL’s most underrated offensive defensemen. He scored 62, 56 and 49 points in his last three seasons and was very impressive on a talent-depleted Swiss Olympic team.

No one in trade rumors or free agency will completely fill the hole left by Streit’s absence, but the Islanders need to do some damage control. This is a tough one to take for a team that knows what it’s like to see a crucial piece go down with a substantial injury.