Holmstrom Rejoins Islanders At Practice

East Meadow, NY– Simon Holmstrom skated at New York Islanders practice on Thursday morning after the team recalled him from AHL Bridgeport.

The Islanders sent the 21-year-old Swede down to the minors out of necessity because they were over the NHL’s roster limit of 23 players but were able to bring him back after Ross Johnston was claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks.

Holmstrom rejoined Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal on the first line at practice Thursday, the same spot in the lineup where he spent much of the preseason.

Practice Lines:

Barzal-Horvat-Holmstrom

Engvall-Nelson-Palmieri

Lee-Pageau-Fasching

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Pelech-Dobson

Romanov-Pulock

Aho-Mayfield

Sorokin

Varlamov

Extras: Bolduc, Gauthier, Wahlstrom

With Holmstrom back in the lineup, Julien Gauthier gets pushed to the bench after putting together a solid performance throughout training camp.

“There’s that healthy competition,” Islanders head coach Lane Lambert said. “The nice thing about [Gauthier] is I think he can fit in anywhere in the lineup. There’s that depth there.”

Stuck At The Starting Line:

After tonight nearly all of the NHL will have started their season. Meanwhile, the Islanders are still waiting to get going, as their first game of the year isn’t until Saturday at UBS Arena.

“Fans are always packed for warmups during the first game,” Mathew Barzal said. “I’m really excited for opening night, and I think this whole team is.”

The Sabres, the Islanders’ opponent on Saturday, start their season tonight against the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. EST in Buffalo.