Islanders Temporarily Shift Kyle Palmieri to Fourth Line Amid Forward Shortage

The Islanders notched a 4‑1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, but they entered the game with only ten healthy forwards. As a result, the club moved veteran winger Kyle Palmieri to the fourth line in a move that is expected to be short‑term due to the current roster constraints.

If Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli— both of whom suffered lower‑body injuries and will be evaluated in New York—miss additional time, Palmieri will be among the key players the Islanders must rely on to fill the offensive void left by two of their more productive forwards.

Simon Holmstrom and Anthony Duclair are also high on the list of players likely to see expanded roles if the injury situation worsens.

Ritchie and Maccelli together accounted for three of the Islanders’ four goals, providing a solid offensive boost despite their injuries.

“Even if those guys [Ritchie and Maccelli] are back, it’s still important,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I’ve said that since Day 1: We’re not winning unless we score a certain amount of goals. And to do that the way we’re gonna do it is gonna be through four lines of guys that can hop over the boards and on any given night chip in.

“Tonight we got a big one from Duke that got us out front. That first goal changes the feel of the game. If you’re chasing it, it’s a different thing.”

New York has built a reputation for strong defensive play, which gives them a foundation to rely on when offense lags. However, scoring has already proven difficult, and the team expects to face even greater challenges without its top forwards.

“It’s an opportunity for guys to step into bigger roles, move around the lineup,” Palmieri told The Post. “I think for us it’s really about coming together as a group and doing what we did tonight.”

Ilya Sorokin earned his 158th career win, moving him past Chico Resch into second place on the Islanders’ all‑time victory list. He still trails Billy Smith’s 230 wins.

The Maple Leafs played Saturday without John Tavares, who was placed week‑to‑week due to a lower‑body injury. Toronto also addressed recent drama surrounding first‑round pick Gavin McKenna, who was benched the previous night.

“[Leafs coach Jim Hiller] said it had nothing to do with my play, which is obviously nice to know,” McKenna said. “It doesn’t really take away from your confidence at all, so [I] appreciated him reaching out and I trust him.”

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