The New York Islanders have lost an important member of their blue line.
Defenseman Adam Pelech will miss the remainder of this season due to an Achilles tendon injury, the team announced Friday. The 25-year-old suffered the ailment prior to Thursday's contest against the New Jersey Devils.
Before going down, Pelech had logged the second-most minutes on the Islanders this season, averaging 21:08 of ice time while playing alongside Ryan Pulock on the club's top defense pairing.
Across 38 appearances, Pelech also tallied one goal and eight assists while leading the team in blocked shots with 83.
In a corresponding move, the Islanders recalled defenseman Sebastian Aho from the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
