UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -Oft-injured New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek is out for the season with a knee injury.
The 33-year-old Martinek tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Friday night in the third period of a 2-1 loss at New Jersey, the Islanders said on Saturday.
Martinek was helped off the ice with about 5:45 to play after he was hit hard against the boards in front of the Devils bench by Zach Parise.
``To me, he's one of the best kept secrets in the NHL as far as what he brings to the table,'' Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. ``His ability to play huge minutes, his ability with the skating, to defend, to get back when he is up in the rush. At times, he can be a one-man breakout. He's got a great stick.''
The Islanders will also be without captain Doug Weight when they host Atlanta on Saturday night. The 38-year-old center is expected to miss a week after sustaining an undisclosed upper body injury.
Weight has played in only 11 of New York's 16 games because of an early season groin injury and a bout with swine flu.
Martinek, in his eighth NHL season, played in only 51 games last season - missing 17 straight after hurting a shoulder. A bruised right leg forced him to sit out 13 games during the 2007-08 season.
In the season before that, Martinek broke his leg and didn't play the final 30 games. His rookie year of 2001-02 was limited to 23 games because of a season-ending knee injury.
Martinek, who has played as many as 70 games in a season only once, had two goals and one assist this season. He was in the lineup for each of New York's first 16 contests.
``He's just a huge loss for us,'' Gordon said. ``I spoke to him today. I feel so bad for him because he was really playing well. He was doing a great job of playing against the other teams' top lines. It's a huge hole for us.''
Veteran defenseman Freddy Meyer will take Martinek's place in the lineup.
``It's got to be done as a group,'' Gordon said.
