Isles Day-to-Day: Injured Isles Skate

Five injured Islanders were on the ice at Northwell Health Ice Center on Wednesday, skating while the rest of the team did off-ice work.
Josh Bailey, Johnny Boychuk, Casey Cizikas, Andrew Ladd and Nikolay Kulemin were all on the ice with Tanner Fritz, Isles coaching staff and goalie coach Fred Brathwaite, who strapped on the pads in net.

Head Coach Doug Weight said on Tuesday that Bailey, who has been out since Jan. 5 with an lower-body, was the closest to a return, while Boychuk, Cizikas and Ladd were further out. Boychuk has been out since Dec. 27, Ladd (upper body) since Jan. 5, while Cizikas (upper body) was hurt in Saturday's win over the Rangers. Kulemin was ruled to be out for 4-6 months after surgery in November and is still a ways away.
[Bails] is the only one that would be in anywhere into this week," Weight said before Tuesday's game. "But [Ladd, Cizikas and Boychuk] are starting to turn a corner and feel a little better."

Shane Prince, who left Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury, and Calvin de Haan, who has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 16, did not skate.
The Islanders play the Boston Bruins on Thursday at Barclays Center then head out on a three-game road trip to Chicago, Arizona and Vegas before the all-star break.
UPDATE 1/18/18:
Casey Cizikas skated with the Islanders at Thursday's morning skate and stayed on for extra work after the optional team skate.
"Not ready, but skating well," Weight said. "Those upper-body injuries, we'll take them over the lower anytime. He can get out there and keep his wind up, but he's not ready yet. As desperate as things are, you have to push it but you have to make sure he's gonna be healthy when he plays."
Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ladd both took the ice before the optional morning skate, with Boychuk briefly staying on, though he did not participate in any team drills. Weight did not have an update on either player.

Nikolay Kulemin was on the ice for a second straight day, skating with Cizikas and Thursday's scratches. Kulemin, whose timetable was 4-6 months after mid-November surgery, isn't expected back any time soon, but Weight said the Russian forward can at least work keep skating given that he's rehabbing an upper-body injury.
"This is the uncomfortable stage for him where he can start skating but they're really going to be pushing it," Weight said. "But he's aggressively pursuing to get back. Still a long way away, but it certainly is good. I think things like that open your eyes. Kuly is a valuable player on our team and it brings us stability, so we miss him, but he's definitely on a good track."