Calvin de Haan is getting his shot.
The Islanders’ first-round pick (12th overall) at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft -- 11 picks after New York took John Tavares No. 1 overall -- de Haan has been called up from AHL Bridgeport in favor of fellow blueliner Matt Donovan, who is on his way down.
De Haan, 22, has only appeared in one career NHL contest, during the 2011-12 season, and missed almost all of the lockout-shortened ’13 campaign to a shoulder injury.
That was his third shoulder ailments three years, including one that cost him over a month of Bridgeport’s 2011-12 campaign (de Haan only played in 56 AHL contests that year.)
Now healthy, the former OHL Oshawa standout looks ready to break through for the Isles. The club is slumping badly and in need of a shakeup, which comes at the expense of Donovan, an offensive defenseman that has five points in 22 games this year while averaging just under 17 minutes per night.
Here’s more, from Newsday:
“If I go back during this stretch, if I’d seen that [being consistently outworked and outplayed], that would be one thing,” Capuano said. “It’s been small battles here and there that we’ve lost, and that’s been the message: One or two seconds can cost you.”
That message was sent Thursday to Donovan, whose giveaway in center ice led to the Jets’ second goal during a three-goal Winnipeg second period.