Romanov to have shoulder surgery, out 5-6 months after Rantanen hit

New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov will undergo shoulder surgery and is expected to be sidelined for five-to-six months, the team announced Sunday.

Romanov sustained the injury after being boarded by Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen in the final minute of the Islanders' 3-2 win Tuesday. Rantanen received a major penalty and a game misconduct.

Two contests later, Rantanen was ejected for boarding against the Calgary Flames and incurred an automatic one-game suspension due to the proximity of the two game misconducts.

Romanov has one assist through 15 outings while averaging 19:27 of ice time this campaign. He's in the first season of an eight-year contract that has a $6.25-million cap hit.

The Islanders are third in the Metropolitan Division with a 12-8-2 record.