Isles Day-to-Day: Kovar, Toews Loaned to Bridgeport

In an effort to meet Tuesday's 23-man roster deadline, the New York Islanders loaned forward Jan Kovar and defenseman Devon Toews to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
General Manager Lou Lamoriello said the Islanders center depth was the reason for Kovar's loan to Bridgeport, as the team was pretty much set on its top-four centers - Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Casey Cizikas and Valtteri Filppula - for opening night.

Kovar signed a one-year deal with the Isles over the summer after averaging a point-per-game (286 points in 285 games) in five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Magnitogorsk Metallurg.
"Players have to play," Lamoriello said. "Right now we have our four centermen and you have to play. I think it's as simple as that."
As for Toews, Lamoriello said the defenseman had the ability to go to Bridgeport without passing through waivers, but would benefit from extra time and a bigger role with the Sound Tigers. Toews made an impression on Head Coach Barry Trotz as well as Lamoriello, but the coach inferred that Toews would not be in the top-six on opening night, whereas he'll likely play 20 minutes per night in Bridgeport.
"Toews is a young player who has the ability to go down, but it's not going to hurt him at all. It's going to help him," Lamoriello said. "There are things that you can work on and play a lot of minutes. A young player, especially a defenseman, should play a lot of minutes when he can."
The Islanders need to submit a 23-man roster before 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
UPDATE: Tom Kuhnhackl cleared waivers on Tuesday.