Isles’ Hamonic one step further from becoming a Jet

By: Ed Tait Posted: 10:50 PM CST Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016

SAN JOSE, Calif. — An injury to the New York Islanders defence corps could dramatically impact any attempts by the Jets to bring Travis Hamonic back to Manitoba.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — An injury to the New York Islanders defence corps could dramatically impact any attempts by the Jets to bring Travis Hamonic back to Manitoba.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — An injury to the New York Islanders defence corps could dramatically impact any attempts by the Jets to bring Travis Hamonic back to Manitoba.

The Islanders placed defenceman Johnny Boychuk on injured reserve Friday after he hurt his shoulder in a win over Buffalo. The prognosis is not good and it means they are likely to lean even more on Hamonic, the St. Malo product, in their push to the playoffs rather than look to trade him.

Hamonic had asked the Islanders before the season to deal him, preferably to a team in the west, so he could be closer to home to deal with “personal matters.”

CP
With Johnny Boychuk expected to be out for weeks, New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic (3) will be leaned upon for more, putting a potential trade to Winnipeg in jeopardy. — CP With Johnny Boychuk expected to be out for weeks, New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic (3) will be leaned upon for more, putting a potential trade to Winnipeg in jeopardy.

“Definitely a huge loss for the team,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano told Newsday’s Arthur Staple. “Johnny plays a lot of minutes, he’s a leader, he’s got that big shot and he’s been getting more involved in the offence the last couple weeks. We’re going to have to step up and do the job.”

Hamonic already leads the Islanders in ice time at 23:43 per game and while it’s possible a deal could still get done — particularly if a defenceman, or two, was shipped to New York in return — any inclination Isles GM Garth Snow might have had to consider a trade likely took a hit with the Boychuk injury.

ROAD DROUGHT: Drew Stafford had no explanation for it. But now it’s hardly a concern. The Jets winger entered Saturday’s game with 10 goals and 16 points in 17 games at the MTS Centre this season but had just one goal and three points in 20 road contests. That ended early Saturday, when he took a spectacular feed from Blake Wheeler for his 12th of the season.

Earlier in the day, however, the issue of his lopsided vs. home split was broached.

“I couldn’t tell you, it’s weird,” said Stafford. “It’s one of those things, it’s an anomaly. If there was an answer, it would be over by now. If you look at it the other way, why am I scoring so much at home and not on the road? I have no idea.

“The chances are there, too. I look at the last handful of games on the road, I’ve had some Grade A chances.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait