New York Islanders: Top 10 Prospects Entering 2018

The New York Islanders prospect pool is among the best in the NHL. Let’s take a look at their top 10 prospects.

The New York Islanders are experiencing a bit of a youth movement. With the departure of John Tavares, the Isles are transitioning to a younger core led by Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal. In their farm system, they have a plethora of young prospects who should become impact players.

For the first time in a while, the Islanders future seems bright, both on and off the ice. Not all of their prospects will pan out, but the Isles have both quantity and quality when it comes to young players.

This list is based on several factors. First of all, talent matters most. Potential counts too. Likelihood of contributing also factors in. Let’s take a look at their top 10 prospects, starting with their top two goaltenders.

Goaltenders

1. Ilya Sorokin [23] (3-78, 2014)

Stats (CSKA Moskva, KHL): 37 games played, 1.59 goals against average, .931 save percentage, 8 shutouts (18 playoff games played, 1.52 GAA, .930 SV%, 5 SO).

Ilya Sorokin is one of the finest goaltenders in the KHL. He was seventh in goals-against average this past season, but third amongst goaltenders with more than 10 games played. He was eighth in save percentage amongst that group, and second in shutouts. In the playoffs, Sorokin was third in GAA, seventh in save percentage, and first in shutouts amongst goaltenders with more than five games.

He’ll bring multiple shutouts a season, and with access to better goaltending coaches could blossom into a franchise netminder

The problem with Sorokin and the New York Islanders is bringing him over. The Islanders have to convince the Russian goaltender to come to the NHL, which has become especially hard over the past two years. With the NHL missing out on the Olympics, that might not be the route Sorokin wants to go. After all, he’s one of the best Russian goaltenders still able to play in the Olympics. Representing the motherland might be his main goal.

But if the New York Islanders can convince Sorokin to come over, they’re getting an excellent goaltender. He’ll bring multiple shutouts a season, and with access to better goaltending coaches could blossom into a franchise netminder. The Islanders have the room to fit Sorokin in right away. They also now have the cap for the future. If the Islanders are going to see success in the new Barzal era, they’ll need a goaltender. It’ll take some work, but that goaltender should be Sorokin.

2. ChristopherGibson [25] (2-49, 2011)

Stats (Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL): 37 gp, 2.42 GAA, .906 SV%, 4 SO; 8 gp, 3.65 GAA, .908 SV%. New York Islanders, NHL

If Sorokin is the starter of the future, Christopher Gibson could be the backup. He’ll likely get more NHL time this season with Sorokin unconvinced, Jaroslav Halak now gone, and Thomas Greiss proving unreliable. The Islanders still have Robin Lehner, but two teams have been willing to move on from him, including the Buffalo Sabres (who gave up quite a bit to get him). That experiment may not work out for the Islanders.

he’s not the best solution, but he could be the most realistic one if everything falls apart this season

Gibson could provide a third option for the New York Islanders. He’s the most NHL ready of the Islanders’ goaltending prospects, and while he doesn’t have that high a ceiling currently, that should be fine. If he ends up being a placeholder while the Islanders enter heavy recruitment for Sorokin, that could give him valuable NHL time and provide a good transition. Gibson did better in the NHL than the AHL, and while he had a bad GAA, that’s not his fault.

Gibson was tied for seventh in shutouts amongst AHL goaltenders and was 30th in save percentage. Again, he’s not the best solution, but he could be the most realistic one if everything falls apart this season.

10. Parker Wotherspoon, D [21] (4-112, 2015)

Stats (Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL): 50 games played: 7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points, 1 power-play goal (3 assists), 1 shorthanded goal, 3 game-winning goals, 97 shots on goal, .34 points per game.

Parker Wotherspoon is a better prospect than the New York Islanders’ lower-end forwards but not as good a prospect as some other defensemen. He had a decent year in the AHL, putting up 17 points in 50 games and having a shorthanded goal and three game-winning ones. He also produced a good number of shots, at a 1.94 shots per game rate.

Wotherspoon has some size, plays well defensively, and has shown the capacity to be a good offensive presence.

Wotherspoon has some size, plays well defensively, and has shown the capacity to be a good offensive presence. He’ll still take a while before becoming a member of the New York Islanders, but he’s young enough that a long road will still deliver him to New York in his prime.

A healthier AHL season could make him a better candidate for promotion, especially if he continues to grow his game and does even better offensively in his second AHL year.

9. Ruslan Iskhakov, RW [18] (2-43, 2018)

Stats (Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL): 33 gp, 6 g, 24 a, 30 p, 2 PPG, 2 GWG (4 pgp, 1 g, 0 a, 1 p).

Ruslan Iskhakov saw his stock rise from the start of the year to where he was drafted over the last year. It was the last month leading up to the entry draft where Iskhakov got more and more hyped up, ending in some prospect rankers’ top twenties. That’s why he got drafted in the higher second round, despite some rather lackluster numbers and size problems.

It’s believed that Iskhakov can be a European version of Alex DeBrincat

It’s believed that Iskhakov can be a European version of Alex DeBrincat, with the same size problems but the same NHL-level skill sets. Iskhakov was tied for 63rd in points per game in the MHL this past season, his first season in the Russian professional system.

He did well in the transition and will make another to the NCAA this season. That will be another test of what Iskhakov can do. If he excels at that level, he could move further up this list and be more NHL ready by the end of the season. He’s an able goal scorer and was good for Russia in International contests. He should be an intriguing prospect this season.

8. Otto Koivula, LW [20] (4-120, 2016)

Stats (Ilves, Liiga): 53 gp, 9 g, 18 a, 27 p, 3 PPG, 3 GWG.

Koivula did somewhat well in the Finnish Liiga this past season, coming up with nine goals and 27 points in a highly defensive league. He also scored three goals on the power play and had three game-winners. Koivula was tied for 82nd in scoring in the Liiga and 92nd in points per game.

Koivula could represent a bottom-line scorer, and that’s a good thing.

Otto Koivula is making the AHL transition this season, which will help determine his value. Right now, it looks like Koivula is nothing more than a bottom-six player, but if he becomes that he’s still a valuable prospect. The New York Islanders need as much scoring depth as they can get. Koivula could represent a bottom-line scorer, and that’s a good thing.

Still, if his ceiling is a bottom-line scorer, that’s why he’s so low on this list. He’s more NHL ready than the prospects before him but at the same time, they have higher ceilings. If he proves his worth with Bridgeport this coming season, and the Islanders have a string of injuries, Koivula could get time in the NHL. He stands a decent chance of becoming an Islander, but he could fall down this list by the end of this season.

6. Bode Wilde, D [18] (2-41, 2018)

Stats (US National U18 Team, USDP): 61 gp, 12 g, 29 a, 41 p, 4 PPG, 1 SHG, 3 GWG, 114 SOG, .67 pts/g.
Stats (USNTDP Juniors, USHL): 25 gp, 3 g, 13 a, 16 p, 1 PPG (3 A), 59 SOG, .64 pts/g.

Bode Wilde was projected to be a first-round pick before the draft and the New York Islanders were able to select him 10 picks into the second round. That could wind up being an incredibly fortunate turn for the team, who could get two top-four defensemen out of this year’s draft.

He’s one of the best American defensemen in the last two drafts

That’s not to say Wilde doesn’t have faults that he will need to grow out of. His decision making can be a bit risky, as Wilde attempts to make the highlight reel play instead of the safer option. That’s something he’ll need better coaching to help fix, but it’s something he should be able to change. Wilde also needs to grow his defensive game over the coming years, but should also be able to do that.

Wilde was tied for 11th in scoring in the USDP and 13th in assists, but was first amongst defensemen in scoring and first in assists. He’s one of the best American defensemen in the last two drafts. If he can grow his game in the right areas and keep developing, he’ll be somebody who can help the New York Islanders in the long term.

5. Devon Toews, D [24] (4-108, 2014)

Stats (Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL): 30 gp, 8 g, 14 a, 22 p, 3 PPG (6 A), 2 GWG, 95 SOG, .73 pts/g.

Devon Toews needs to move up to the National Hockey League. He’s proven through the last few seasons that he’s better than the AHL, and he can be something valuable for the New York Islanders immediately. That’s not something a lot of the prospects on this list can say, but Toews has been NHL ready for quite some time.

Last year, in a full season, Toews scored 45 points in 76 games. He was on track to do much better than that before getting injured, scoring 22 points in 30 games, about a 50 point pace over the season. Toews did good damage on the power play and also came in handy in game-winning situations. Toews also produced more than three shots per game.

If Toews has a good training camp and preseason, he should be set up for a present as a New York Islander. Yes, they have multiple defensemen on their roster already, but Toews should be better than some of them. If the team is willing to give Dennis Seidenberg a PTO, they clearly need more help on the blue line. Toews can be that immediately.

4. Sebastian Aho, D [22] (5-139, 2017)

Stats (Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL): 40 gp, 9 g, 20 a, 29 p, 4 PPG (12 A), 4 GWG, 94 SOG, .73 pts/g; 22 gp, 1 g, 3 a, 4 p. New York Islanders, NHL

Sebastian Aho (not to be confused with the Carolina Hurricanes forward) is another defensive prospect who should make an impact with the New York Islanders in the future. While that future could be further off, in the time that Aho has gotten in the NHL, he’s been decent. He’s not as good offensively as the Islanders should like, at least not at the top level, but he did excellently in the AHL. Aho will need to continue to grow his game if he’s going to play with the Islanders consistently, especially producing just four points in 22 games.

Aho didn’t get as much power play time as he may like, however, and he has proven to be excellent there. He scored 16 points on the man advantage in the AHL and came up with four game-winners. He was also excellent in terms of shot output, averaging more than two shots per game. He’s risen further than most in his draft position and looks like an eventual NHL player.

Aho actually had a more defensive share of the workload than most. With a 56 percent defensive zone start rate, Aho was not played to his strengths with the Islanders this past season. Perhaps with a more even workload, Aho can get to the point that he steals a consistent job this season.

3. Kieffer Bellows, LW [20] (1-19, 2016)

Stats (Portland Winterhawks, WHL): 56 gp, 41 g, 33 a, 74 p, 9 PPG (11 A), 7 GWG, 274 SOG, 1.32 pts/g (12 pgp, 3 g, 10 a, 13 p, 1 PPG (4 A), 1 GWG, 54 SOG, 1.08 pts/g).

Kieffer Bellows is one of the prospects with the most hype around him coming into this season for the New York Islanders. That could be for good reason, as Bellows was tied for 15th in goal scoring in the WHL despite missing about 16 games and was tied for 18th in points per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, Bellows was tied for 31st in playoff scoring and 38th in points per game.

Bellows is a pure shooter, one who will find ways to put the puck in the back of the net and shoot at a consistent rate. He had a 4.89 shots per game rate this past season, one of the best in the WHL. He also scored 20 points on the power play, scored seven game-winning goals (one every eight games) and was much better than a point-per-game. As an offensive force, Bellows lived up to his hype in the Canadian juniors.

Now it’s a question of how Bellows will transition to the pro game. With a lot of room left for young wingers to crack the lineup, Bellows should see time this season. While he might not be an 80-game player just yet, the New York Islanders and their fans believe he’ll get there. He just might need a stopover in the AHL first.

2. Noah Dobson, D [18] (1-12, 2018)

Stats (Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL): 67 gp, 17 g, 52 a, 69 p, 11 PPG (18 A), 2 SHG (1 A), 2 GWG, 276 SOG, 1.03 pts/g. (20 pgp, 3 g, 10 a, 13 p, 1 PPG (5 A), 2 GWG, 75 SOG, .65 pts/g).

Noah Dobson is the best defensive prospect the New York Islanders have. He was drafted just this year, being the 12th overall pick, but was one of the highest rated prospects. Some saw him as the second-best defenseman available in this draft after Rasmus Dahlin.

In the QMJHL last season, Dobson was an offensive force, coming up with more than a point-per-game pace and 29 points on the power play.

Dobson was tied for 23rd in scoring, 84th in goal scoring, and 30th in points per game. He was also eighth in assists. Amongst defensemen, however, Dobson was tied for second in scoring and fourth in points per game and was third in goal scoring and fourth in assists. In the playoffs, he had very similar rankings and was tied for second amongst defensemen in points, third in goals, third in assists, and 14th in points per game.

Dobson also had a 4.12 shots per game rate and a 3.75 rate in the playoffs. He’s a producer, and while he’ll need to continue to grow his defensive game in the coming season, he could be a top-pairing defenseman for the New York Islanders in the future and the defenseman who runs the Islanders’ power play. This may be bold, but Dobson could be the best defensemen for the Islanders since Denis Potvin.

1. Oliver Wahlstrom, RW [18] (1-11, 2018)

Stats (USNTDP Juniors, USHL): 26 gp, 22 g, 23 a, 45 p, 4 PPG (9 A), 2 SHG (1 A), 4 GWG, 128 SOG, 1.73 pts/g; 62 gp, 48 g, 46 a, 94 p, 13 PPG, 3 SHG, 6 GWG, 288 SOG, 1.52. US National U18 Team, USDP

Oliver Wahlstrom could be the greatest American goal scorer of all-time. He certainly has the shot metrics, which measure up favorably to those of other great Americans like Patrick Kane, Jack Eichel, and Auston Matthews.

Wahlstrom was nearly at a goal-per-game rate in the USHL and in the USDP. He had a 4.92 shots per game rate in the USHL and 4.65 shots per game rate in the USDP. The kid just shoots.

His shot is what turns him from someone who just shoots a ton to an elite-level goal scorer. He’s got accuracy, power, and a quick release. He’s also someone who can make plays, coming up with more assists than goals in the USHL and 46 assists in 62 games in the USDP. Wahlstrom was dangerous both on the power play and while shorthanded and became a goaltender’s worst nightmare.

Wahlstrom was second in points per game in the USHL this past season, behind just Jack Hughes. In the USDP, Wahlstrom was first in scoring, first in goals, second in assists (but first amongst U18s) and fourth in points per game (but second in the U18 division). He’s somebody who should dominate the NHL and should be Barzal’s best wing for years to come. He might not be in the NHL this season, heading to the NCAA, but that will give him a true test of his abilities and allow the Islanders a chance to make room for the young scorer.