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Report: Visnovsky to make Isles debut on Saturday

LuboVis

After a lengthy, drama-filled process, it appears Lubomir Visnovsky will finally play for the New York Islanders.

According to Newsday’s Arthur Staple, a pair of sources claim the 36-year-old rearguard will make his Isles debut on Saturday against Buffalo.

Visnovsky had been suspended by the Islanders for failing to report to training camp after he attempted (unsuccessfully) to stay in the KHL for the rest of the season.

Prior to that, he tried to void the trade that sent him from Anaheim to Long Island.

But with all that drama behind him -- well, we assume it’s behind him -- the veteran passed his physical on Friday and appears primed to play a major role for the Isles.

Staple reports Visnovsky will man the point of New York’s top power-play unit, taking over for Frans Nielsen.

On that note, head coach Jack Capuano says he’s hoping to see the skills and offensive flair that saw Visnovsky lead all NHL defensemen in scoring in 2010-11 (with 68 points).

“We expect what we’ve seen in the past from him,” Capuano said. “He gives us another puck-moving defenseman that can join the rush. We don’t generate a lot from our blue line right now. It’s evident with the amount of goals we’ve scored.

“If you look around the league, successful teams have defensemen who score big goals at key times.”