Mikhail Grabovski won’t be suiting up for the Islanders anytime soon.
Grabovski, absent from Isles camp after failing to pass his physical, has been placed on IR with an upper-body injury, a byproduct of concussion symptoms he’s suffered since last season.
The 32-year-old hasn’t suited up since Mar. 15, when he returned from a 10-game absence to play 17 minutes in a shootout loss to Pittsburgh.
At the time, the Isles were happy to have Grabovski back in the lineup, but the feeling was fleeting. Immediately after the Pittsburgh game, the club sent Grabovski back to New York for medical evaluation.
He didn’t play another game that year, or in the club’s playoff run.
In the midst of a four-year, $20 million deal -- set to expire in 2018 -- it’s possible Grabovski will be placed on LTIR, in order to give the club financial relief from his $5 million cap hit.
The Isles are pretty tight to the cap ceiling with Grabovski on the books, approximately $2.5M under (per General Fanager).
Update:
#Isles clarify Grabovski is a non-roster injury designation. Means nothing as far as cap hit, which stays on the books.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) September 26, 2016