Islanders lose Boychuk to upper-body injury for 4-to-6 weeks

Tough way to start the year.

The New York Islanders will be without Johnny Boychuk for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury, the club announced. The defender suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury on New Year's Eve, when he crashed heavily into the boards.

Boychuk has three goals and 11 assists in 38 games, while averaging 21:33 in ice time.

The loss of the reliable defender, who's under contract through 2019-20 at a cap hit of $6 million, means Travis Hamonic, who requested a trade out of Brooklyn for personal reasons, is unlikely to be dealt.

The Islanders are quietly one of the Eastern Conference's better teams, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division with 49 points, at 22-13-5. The club's plus-14 goal differential is tied for fourth-best in the East.

Copyright (C) 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.