The first casualty of the Patrick Roy era is Julien Gauthier.
The Islanders placed the 26-year-old winger on waivers Friday after Gauthier was made a healthy scratch in the last game before the All-Star break and benched in the loss to Montreal prior to that.
The exact ramifications of the move are not entirely clear, but with three players on either injured reserve or long-term injured reserve, it clears a path for at least one of Casey Cizikas, Robert Bortuzzo or Ryan Pulock to rejoin the team in the near future.
If center Kyle MacLean — sent back down to AHL Bridgeport prior to the All-Star break so he could continue playing — stays in the American League, that would clear a second roster spot.
If none are healthy, though, it may simply be that Gauthier failed to impress Roy or that the Isles are setting up an unforeseen move now that the trade market has opened, with Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan already having been dealt.
Gauthier, who played 27 games with the Islanders, will presumably be assigned to the AHL if he clears waivers.
The former Ranger and Senator played 27 games with the Isles this season after making the team out of training camp, scoring five goals with four assists.
His straight-line game and speed allowed him to crack the lineup regularly under Lane Lambert, usually on the third line, while Oliver Wahlstrom was usually the odd forward out.
Gauthier being waived, though, is a sign that Roy liked what he saw over the 10:14 Wahlstrom played against the Panthers last Saturday — a potential lifeline for the 23-year-old forward whose Isles tenure has appeared to be near an end at times this season.
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