Mark Streit’s season may be over before it started. The Islanders’ defenseman will likely miss six months after injuring his shoulder during an intrasquad game after being hit by Matt Moulson and falling into the boards. Streit will undergo surgery to repair what initially appears to be a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff, but he may also have suffered a dislocation. The Islanders will have to scramble to find somebody who can fill Streit’s skates and hopefully do at least half the job that he did.

Streit has been one of the Islanders top defensemen in the last two years. With New York, he has 27 goals and 78 points. He has been a cornerstone member of the power play. His 49 points last season was eighth in the league among defenders and nine power play goals was good enough for a tie for second among defensemen, only one behind Washington’s Mike Green. The Islanders will be missing a lot of offense with Streit gone.

The Islanders looked ready to do some damage in the Atlantic Division this season. After finishing last in the NHL two seasons ago, they picked up John Tavares and leapfrogged four teams in the standing. A playoff position may still be questionable for this season, but not many of the teams around them in the final standings from last year have improved significantly either. However, the loss of Streit is a serious blow and it will take a significant effort from every other member of the team to cover it up.

So Streit will go under the knife, and the entire Islanders organization will suffer for it. There is a change that Streit will make it back for the last month or so of the season, but by that time, chances are the Islanders will already realistically be out of playoff contention. It will take a Herculean effort from his replacement, to match the kind of production Streit brings. So instead it appears there will be at least one more year of misery for the fans in The Coliseum.