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2016 Islanders training camp: Grabovski to IR, Clutterbuck, Gionta day-to-day as preseason games begin

Who knows what some of these vague terms actually mean. But in any event, don’t expect to see a few veterans in the one preseason game tonight.

By Dan Saraceni
Philadelphia Flyers v New York Islanders
Shake it off.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Islanders play their first preseason game tonight at Barclays Center against half (or so) of the Flyers. But first there’s the matter of some injuries to get out on the table.

This morning, the team officially put Mikhail Grabovski on the injured reserve retroactive to March. That probably just means he can come off the IR anytime, since March is a little more than a week ago.

Update (um, sorta):

But after failing his physical on the first day of camp and not being cleared to skate due to concussion symptoms, it’s unlikely we’ll see Grabovski before opening night on Oct. 13. Grabovski has had three concussions in his two seasons with the Islanders and not getting the greenlight to play after an entire Summer makes his health condition seem pretty dire.

When healthy, the Islanders can use a possession driver like him and his $5.5 million AAV is among the highest on the team. But for his longterm health, it’s best to keep him off the ice until a determination can be made about the best way for he and the team to proceed.

On Sunday, Jack Capuano announced that Cal Clutterbuck, who left practice on Saturday with a lower body injury, and Stephen Gionta, in camp on a try out contract, were both day-to-day. Who knows what those vague terms actually mean, but in any event, don’t expect to see either in the one preseason game tonight or in the two split-squad games tomorrow.

Another Update: The Islanders signed three more PTOs this morning to get some bodies into these games. One of them is Steve Bernier. Don’t Freak Out (unless he gets an actual contract)! Cullity and Jones were Sound Tigers last season.

Johnny Boychuk missed Saturday’s practice with an upper body injury, but he was back at work on Sunday. He’s not in the super young line-up for tonight’s game, but again, there are more scrimmages ahead.

This concludes your Islanders injury update. Please return to your regularly scheduled case of the Mondays.