Islanders loan defenseman Robin Salo to AHL

The New York Islanders announced a roster move Sunday morning, sending defenseman Robin Salo to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. This is not the first time this season that Salo has been sent to the AHL, although he is yet to play a game in Bridgeport this year.

Salo, now 24, was the Islanders’ top draft pick at the 2017 draft, getting selected 46th overall. At the time, he was seen as a safer selection, having already established himself as a regular contributor in his native Finland’s top professional league.

Since that point, the Islanders have been extremely patient with Salo’s development, and he spent a full half-decade playing as a regular Liiga defenseman before finally making the jump to North American pro hockey last season.

In 2021-22, Salo played 40 games in Bridgeport and 21 on Long Island, scoring 20 points at the AHL level and five in the NHL. This year Salo has played in just four of the Islanders’ games, and has lost a regular spot to veteran Sebastian Aho.

The Islanders did not announce a corresponding call-up after this move, hinting at the possibility that this send-down is merely a paper transaction to bank cap space for the trade deadline. The move leaves the Islanders with just six defensemen on their active roster, so unless the team plans to call up a different blueliner, the paper transaction would seem like the most likely explanation for this move.

That being said, the possibility that the Islanders simply prefer to get the young Salo some time in Bridgeport to keep him from spending too long as a healthy scratch cannot be ruled out.