According to a team announcement, the New York Islanders have assigned defenseman Marshall Warren to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Without a corresponding roster move, the Islanders are down to six defensemen on the active roster.
Warren, 24, was recalled for the injured blueliner Alexander Romanov. Due to a scary collision with Mikko Rantanen in New York’s recent game against the Dallas Stars, Romanov will miss the next five to six months after shoulder surgery.
The former sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild has quickly become the first man up for the Islanders on defense. It’s somewhat surprising given that Warren was relatively disappointing with AHL Bridgeport last season, scoring four goals and 17 points in 53 games with a -7 rating.
However, he’s performed much better this season. Despite only playing in 10 games due to the two NHL callups, Warren remains second on the team in scoring among defensemen with two goals and nine points.
Unfortunately, Warren didn’t get any playing time with New York during his most recent call-up. It’s fairly surprising given his play from earlier in the season, but the team opted for Adam Boqvist nonetheless. During his first recall in late October, Warren registered two assists in two games with a 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength.