Kyle Palmieri is back in the mix for the New York Islanders, and after 10 months of rehab, the veteran forward says just being around a team again already feels different.
Palmieri, 35, has returned to Training Camp after a long recovery that took him through Long Island’s snowy winter, into rehab sessions, and plenty of time in the pool. The process kept him busy, but it also kept him connected to the goal of getting back on the ice.
“The idea of kind of being back in a team structure, and I've obviously been skating with my teammates for the last couple weeks here, but to do it with some structure and for real; I've missed it," Palmieri said. "It's been a long time, and it was nothing but exciting to be out there."
The road back started with a torn ACL suffered in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on November 28, 2025. Palmieri was battling Jamie Drysdale when he landed awkwardly on the boards, an injury that ended his 2025-26 season. It came after he had already turned in one of the assists of the season.
Once the surgery was behind him, Palmieri leaned heavily on swimming to stay in shape and keep the rehab moving.
"The first 12 weeks of the rehab, I was in the pool five, six days a week," Palmieri said. "It was more time swimming.
I learned how to swim properly and do a couple things in the water that may have looked like I was a 90-year-old in a jazzercise class. I think the rehab consumed a lot of my time."
“It certainly wasn't pretty,” Palmieri added. “It gave me a bit of respect for people who do distance swimming because I'm not built for that.”
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