Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#25: New York Islanders

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 23

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 1

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 0

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 130th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Cole Eiserman (27th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Jesse Pulkinnen (64th)

System Score: 2

New York Islanders General Manager Lou Lamoriello has been in charge since the summer of 2018, and in that time he has had four first round picks, three of which were in the 2018 (Oliver Wahlstrom 11th overall, Noah Dobson 12th overall) and 2019 (Simon Holmstrom 23rd overall) drafts. Those three players have played in 635 NHL games thus far, but the remaining 31 players selected by the Islanders from 2018-2023 have played only a total of 68 NHL game--51 of those games have been played by Sam Bolduc. Wahlstrom, Dobson and Holmstrom comprise 90% of NHL games-played success from all of those draft years.   

It was not until the recent 2024 draft that the Islanders would have another chance at a first-round pick, and in this case they selected arguably the best pure goal scorer of the draft class in Cole Eiserman. Despite having made a lot of mid- and later-round picks, the Islanders prospect system has seen relatively little success, and without the addition of Eiserman and Pulkinnen in the most recent draft, the system would be ranked even lower than 25th among NHL prospect pools.

The Top of The Pool:

Cole Eiserman was drafted 20th overall in the 2024 draft, but came into the season as a viable top-five prospect in the draft class. Over the course of the 2023-2024 season playing for the US National Team Development Program, Eiserman scored at greater than a goal-per-game pace, tallying 67 goals in 64 games in all competitions and in the process becoming the program's all-time leading goal scorer. His one-time slapshot timing is superb. The release on his wrist shot is hard, accurate and deadly. He can fire pucks on net from any angle, off balance, falling over or on the move. He is always prepared, loaded and willing to rip a shot on net from anywhere on the ice. Add to his shooting prowess a tough physical presence and a high compete level, and the framework for a solid NHL career becomes obvious. On the downside, however, Eiserman appears at times to be only a shooter--a mostly one-dimensional player who lacks high-level agility, passing vision and game intelligence. Eiserman's USNTDP total points of 127 goals and just 66 assists (despite playing with top talent around him) speaks volumes of his overall offensive game. But he can put the puck in the net.

The top defenseman in the Islanders system is also a 2024 draft pick, the 19-year-old Finnish blueliner project Jesse Pulkinnen. The tall, offensively-minded blueliner went undrafted in 2023, but the Islanders selected him 54th overall last summer, opting to get their hands on a 6'6, 220-pound high-risk, high-reward player. Pulkinnen has a huge reach, which he uses effectively to protect the puck in his own end, but his mind is always up ice. He jumps into the rush and he is not afraid to be first in to retrieve pucks in the offensive zone. Like Eiserman, he just wants to score.

Calle Odelius is a more typical blueliner prospect, a solid two-way player who plays a physical positional defense and can make calm, patient breakout plays. He broke his ankle early last season and lost most of the season, but he looks primed to have a step-up season in 2024-2025 and will be playing in North America sooner than later.

Kamil Bednarik is a forward who plays with intensity and is a forechecking menace on the ice. Drafted late in the second round in the 2024 draft, Bednarik may not have the scoring pedigree of USNTDP teammate Eiserman, but he can be an essential piece to a playoff team by playing sound, hard-working hockey around both nets.

Return to the Team System Rankings

Below is the full list of the New York Islanders' ranked prospects.

Top Forwards 

Top Defensemen