Islanders Assign Devon Toews, Jan Kovar to Bridgeport

The New York Islanders have made their 2018-19 opening roster decisions, though they aren’t official until filed by the league deadline of 5 p.m. EDT.

Promising 24-year-old defenseman Devon Toews, who shined in Bridgeport last year before a season-ending injury, and shined in preseason, was loaned to the AHL Sound Tigers. He’ll be back, and hopefully soon, but at age 24 they’ve decided he needs regular high-end playing time rather than sitting while Barry Trotz figures out his defensive pairings.

Jan Kovar, the summer signing out of the KHL for $2.5 million, has also been assigned to Bridgeport. We’ll see if he can find his groove. He has had some outstanding seasons in the KHL with top-notch…