Islanders Defensemen Romanov and Pulock Return After Shoulder Surgeries

New York Islanders defensemen Alexander Romanov and Ryan Pulock made their first game action of training camp Friday against the Rangers, marking their return after undergoing shoulder surgeries. The pair is expected to form the Islanders' second defensive pairing for their season opener Wednesday in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, with Adam Pelech and Matthew Schaefer forming the first pair.

Both players underwent surgery after the conclusion of last season. Romanov had surgery following a hit from Mikko Rantanen that ended his previous season, while Pulock's surgery was also for a shoulder injury. Their return to game action comes after the team opted to give them additional practice days following their procedures.

"I really don’t care," Romanov told The Post regarding playing back-to-back preseason games. "Back-to-back, back-to-back-to-back, that doesn’t matter." The focus for both players is on accumulating ice time, taking hits, and reaching game speed.

Romanov acknowledged a difficult previous season, struggling in the 15 games he played after his injury and not appearing to be himself. Pulock also battled through a shoulder injury in the latter half of last season, which impacted his performance.

Pulock described his summer as different due to the nature of his surgery and rehabilitation. "The rehab process, different steps. I think off the start, there wasn’t much happening [after surgery] until you can start the strengthening portion of things," he said. He added that he spent the summer working with the team's strength and conditioning staff and that his testing results are now better than before.

Romanov also underwent a significant physical transformation, losing approximately 17 pounds and reducing his body fat from 14 percent to 7 percent. He achieved this by cutting out sugar and junk food, monitoring his gluten intake, and increasing his on-ice training. The Islanders' management has been impressed by his physical improvements during camp.

Despite these improvements, the team recognizes the need for both players to regain their game sharpness. "He has all the tools for that and that’s what we need out of him," coach Pete DeBoer said of Romanov's potential to fill a top-four role. "There’s a spot for him in that hole. So he’s gotta come back healthy, which he is right now. He hasn’t played games in a long time. We’ve gotta give him some runway there to get back up to speed. I’m excited about what I see in practice and how it translates into the games."

Romanov expressed his eagerness to return to play, stating, "I just want to remind myself how to play hockey, because when you don’t play a whole year, even [though] you’re in shape, you gotta bring back this experience that you have. I’m just happy to play my first game since injury and every shift, every second, just try to play my best game and see how it goes."