When the Islanders acquired defenseman Alexander Romanov at a big price, the plan was to play him on the first unit with Noah Dobson. Fans in New York are starting to regret getting him and are increasingly saying that he is not living up to expectations.
Indeed, Romanov may not be there yet in his development. He's got a lot of talent and he's a great checker, but is he really a first pairing defenseman? Not sure.
Romanov's play hasn't been too bad so far this season, with six points and a +6 rating in 23 games. However, the fact that he was acquired for a first round pick still raises the hackles of Islanders fans.