As the New York Islanders sit in a playoff spot over the Christmas break, it is a great time to look at how their prospects are doing. Despite the team’s most recent first-round pick being in 2019 where they selected Swedish winger Simon Holmstrom, Islanders fans have quite a few prospects who they should be looking forward to seeing in the NHL.
Bridgeport Islanders
In the American Hockey League (AHL), the Bridgeport Islanders currently sit last in the entire league and are 11 points back of the next-lowest team in their division, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This is a position that no team ever wants to be in, especially for the Islanders who continue their struggles from the past few seasons.
Ruslan Iskhakov
Despite the Bridgeport Islanders sitting last in the AHL with just 18 points in 26 games, there have been a few positives to come out. The Islanders’ 2018 second-round pick Ruslan Iskhakov, who has played in all 26 of the team’s games so far this season, currently sits at eight goals and 20 points, leading the team in both categories. The 23-year-old center is a highly skilled forward who uses his small size to easily maneuver his way around opponents.
Iskhakov, who possesses a stellar left shot, is expected to be one of the first call-ups to the NHL team if an injury occurs in the top nine, as his fast-paced, offensive skill set will help the team maintain its production.
Estimated NHL Arrival: 2024
William Dufour
Another bright spot this season for the Islanders has been second-year power-forward, William Dufour. He has just four goals and eight points in 15 games in the AHL this season, but his game has evolved to be more translatable to the NHL. He made his NHL debut last season, playing just one game where he finished as a minus-2 in just 6:48 time on ice. He was benched by head coach Lane Lambert, who after the game said he “liked some of the things [Dufour] did. He’s a big body. Again he went to the net hard. He’ll continue to learn, and grow from that. That’s what that’s about from that standpoint” (from ‘Islanders’ William Dufour benched in NHL debut after costly mistakes,’ New York Post, January 18, 2023).
As Dufour continues to stress the development of the defensive aspects of the game, the offensive production is beginning to pick up. He tallied two goals in the Islanders’ 5-4 defeat of the Harford Wolfpack Friday night (Dec. 22) and an assist in the…
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