Islanders' Ladd ruled out over torn ACL

New York Islanders forward Andrew Ladd has a torn left ACL but should be healthy in time for training camp in the fall, general manager Lou Lamoriello said Tuesday. Ladd was injured Sunday in the Islanders' 2-0 win over Arizona.

The 33-year-old has played just 26 games this season. He missed training camp with a back ailment, which was followed by surgery on his torn right ACL. Ladd signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Islanders before the 2016-17 season. The No. 4 overall selection in the 2004 NHL Draft by Carolina, he also has played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets.

He has been part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams -- Carolina in 2006 and Chicago in 2010 -- and Lamoriello said his veteran leadership will be missed as the Islanders head toward the playoffs. "It's always difficult to lose a veteran who has experience," Lamoriello told reporters Tuesday. "As you saw, he's played very well the last few games he's played, but this, it's part of the game."

On the season, Ladd has three goals and eight assists. In his three years with the Islanders, Ladd has 38 goals and 33 assists in 177 games. In 946 career games, Ladd has 537 points (248 goals, 289 assists). The Islanders enter Tuesday's game at Columbus tied with Pittsburgh in second place in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind division-leading Washington.