Barry Trotz admits it’s not easy to tell Travis Zajac he’s not playing.
Yet Zajac was a healthy scratch for the second straight game as the Islanders faced the Rangers on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum and third time since he and Kyle Palmieri were acquired from the Devils on April 7.
More and more, Zajac, who played 1,024 games with the Devils, is becoming injury insurance for his new team.
"Such a pro," Trotz said. "Trust me, it’s a hard thing to go to a guy like Travis Zajac and say, ‘You’re not in the lineup.