2023-24 NHL Prospect Breakdown: New York Islanders

Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a strong argument to be made that the New York Islanders have the worst prospect pool in the NHL. If not a single player in this top 10 list became an everyday NHLer, I wouldn’t be surprised.

That’s what happens when you have no first-round picks in four years, and four since 2016. Of those four, Noah Dobson (2018) turned out to be an impactful player, while Oliver Wahlstrom (2018) never really hit expectations. Kieffer Bellows (2016) is still unsigned after a rough year between New York and Philadelphia, and Simon Holmstrom (2019) is just starting to find his way with the big club. Good thing Mat Barzal (2015) was a success.

At some point, the Islanders will consider a full rebuild. Are the willing to admit it? After trading Aatu Raty – the team’s prospect – to bring in and sign Bo Horvat to a long-term deal, it doesn’t seem like it. But getting a good grasp of what 80-year-old Lou Lamoriello is thinking is next to impossible anyways.

Bridgeport had a few solid pieces last year, with William Dufour, Samuel Bolduc and Ruslan Iskhakov having a positive impact, among others. OHL standout Matthew Maggio is ready to take the next step forward, while Calle Oldelius and Jesse Nurmi will continue plying their craft back home in Europe.

Islanders fans know the team is lacking a solid pipeline. And it won’t change any time soon. So you better hope the NHL lineup can get it done sooner rather than later.

Biggest Strength

One of the most underlooked elements of a prospect pool is finding bottom-six players that can have a positive impact. Danny Nelson fits the mold as a hard-working forward with size and skill. Jesse Nurmi is a work in progress, but he could be a depth scorer if he can get a handle on some of his flaws you’ll see below.

Biggest Weakness

There’s many you can pinpoint here, but the team lacks an impact player. Dufour had a great year, but can his play translate to the NHL? If he doesn’t, will anyone be a difference-maker? With a lack of high-end picks in recent years, they’re missing a goal-scorer, top-four defensive option or a potential backup goaltender.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*William Dufour (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)*

Grade: D-

1. William Dufour, RW, 21 (Bridgeport, AHL)

Drafted: No. 152, fifth round in 2020

Dufour is coming off of a great rookie pro season, putting up 21 goals and 48 points in 69 games with Bridgeport. He also made his NHL debut on Jan. 18, an unremarkable first game with just 6:48 of ice time. Dufour had an outstanding final QMJHL season with 56 goals and 116 points and had a point-per-game run at the world juniors in 2022. So clearly, scoring isn’t an issue here. Could he challenge for an NHL roster spot this year?

2. Danny Nelson, C/LW, 18 (University of Notre Dame, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 49, second round in 2023

When asked who he likes to model his game after at the NHL Draft, Nelson was quick to say Brock Nelson. That’s one way to appeal to the fanbase. One of the most improved players on the USNTDP this year, Nelson had 47 points in 62 outings, finishing the year off with a point per game in his final 16 games. At 6-foot-3, he’s got size, and he’s not afraid to use it. He keeps his game simple, with a focus on making sure whomever he approaches doesn’t have possession of the puck as quickly as possible. I’m excited about his transition to the NCAA.

*Samuel Bolduc (Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports)*

3. Samuel Bolduc, D, 22 (New York Islanders)

Drafted: No. 57, second round in 2019

The 6-foot-4 defenseman saw his first NHL action this past season, recording three points in 17 games. He also skated in two playoff games, playing limited minutes. Bolduc looked good in a handful of regular season games, including a two-game stretch that saw him put points on the board in April against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. There isn’t much for Bolduc to prove in the AHL after a solid 35-point campaign. It’s time for him to seize an NHL spot.

4. Jesse Nurmi, LW, 18 (KooKoo, Liiga)

Drafted: No. 113, fourth round in 2023

My biggest knocks against Nurmi is his lack of physicality and just average skating. He plays with a ton of energy and will keep chasing pucks, but that doesn’t mean he always comes out on the right side of the battle. That being said, his 50 points in 41 games were the most of any U-18 scorer in the Finnish U-20 league. So against his own competition, he was great. It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts to a full season in Liiga after getting limited playing time with KooKoo in 2022-23.

5. Calle Odelius, D, 19 (Djurgardens, Allsvenskan)

Drafted: No. 65, second round in 2022

Odelius spent the year trying to lift Djurgardens out of the second-tier Swedish league. It didn’t work, but he looked more competitive and confident as the season wore on. He also represented Sweden at the world juniors, scoring once. A big goal for Odelius would be to get more constant ice time, while also being a bit more active on the rush and with the puck.

*Calle Odelius (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

6. Ruslan Iskhakov, C, 23 (Bridgeport, AHL)

Drafted: No. 43, second round in 2018

Iskhakov has had a bit of a world your over the past six years, playing in Russia, the NCAA, Finland, Germany and, most recently, with Bridgeport in the AHL. The 5-foot-8 forward had a remarkable 51 points in 69 games in his first AHL campaign, showing some potential as a depth scoring forward. He’s not dynamic enough to carve out a spot outside of a scoring role, but it’s hard to deny his offensive production.

7. Matthew Maggio, RW, 20 (Bridgeport, AHL)

Drafted: No. 142, fifth round in 2022

A nice late-round overage pickup by the Islanders a year ago, Maggio put up an incredible 54 goals and 111 points as captain of Windsor last year. He carried the momentum with two assists in three AHL games with Bridgeport to close off the year. The offense-first winger is a hard-worker, something that has only improved over the past two years. Scoring in the OHL is one thing, scoring against pros is a whole other challenge. We’ll see how he adjusts to life in Bridgeport, but 40 points would be a nice start.

8. Quinn Finley, LW, 19 (University of Wisconsin, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 78, third round in 2022

After two average seasons in the USHL, Finley had 65 points with Madison and Chicago this past year. He also helped USA win gold at the World Junior A Challenge, scoring six points along the way. Finley brought some speed to USA at the World Junior A Challenge, but didn’t do enough to really give him a shot at the final team come December. Regardless, this will be a learning year for Finley as he heads to college.

9. Tristan Lennox, G, 20 (Bridgeport, AHL)

Drafted: No. 93, third round in 2020

Once considered one of the best young goalie prospects ahead of the 2018 OHL Draft, Lennox’s stock has fallen quite a bit in recent years. He had plenty of ups-and-downs in Saginaw, a team that struggled to give him proper defensive support. Lennox has looked good internationally with Canada, albeit with solid lineups in front of him. If he ends up in Bridgeport for the full season, he’ll be challenged quite a bit alongside Jakub Skarek. But Lennox is the best goalie prospect in the system, and, perhaps, once Semyon Varlamov moves on, Lennox might be ready to give the team some crease insurance.

10. Alex Jefferies, LW, 21 (Merrimack College, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 121, fourth round in 2020

The ultimate goal for 2022-23 was seeing a nice uptick in scoring. After scoring 23 points in 2021-22, he moved up to 41 as a junior at Merrimack. Mission accomplished. The 21-year-old is expected to return for his senior year, where he’ll be counted on heavily again as a veteran scorer. After that? We’ll see if the powerful skater turns pro. He’s a solid playmaker, but his two-way game could use work.

Other notables: Isaiah George, D (19), Reece Newkirk, C (22), Daylan Kuefler, LW (21), Eetu Liukas, LW (20), Cameron Berg, C (21), Dennis Good Bogg, D (19), Zachary Schulz, D (18), Matias Rajaniemi, D (20), Justin Gill, C (20)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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