The Islanders are Cooking Something BIG...

The New York Islanders are cooking something big in their prospect pool, both literally and just in terms of the future of this franchise. We're going to break it down on this episode of Islanders Digest. We're both going to talk about the rookie showcase games, which I know I've been late to. I meant to do a video on that yesterday, and then the Barzell news came out. And also I'm going to talk about what these players really need to do to have a successful preseason. Now the preseason underway, we know who's skating with who. And yeah, there's a lot to talk about, so let's dive right into it. We're going to start with the first half of the roster and then the second half, because they split into two when it comes to the New York Islanders. Let me see if I can get a better screen here where you can see the full thing. That's not bad, but okay, yep, that looks perfect for what we're doing. We're not really focused on the goaltenders, so we'll take a peek on that after. But when it comes to the white team for the New York Islanders, I really want to focus, start on Victor Eklund, who I think had a really impressive rookie showcase. And even if he started slow in the first period of the first game against the New Jersey Devils prospects, he showed right away that he was the best player on the ice for both teams. And that's really notable because the Devils had quite a few players who looked like impact third liners playing in that game. And in fact, Devils, those players in particular, did not look great, but Eklund really impressed me. And for Eklund, this training camp, the goal is to make the team, especially with Barzell out. You look today, he was playing with Paggio and Heinemann. It's really clear that he has a real shot to make the NHL roster. And based on how he performs, I think the biggest question going into rookie camp, sorry, into training camp, isn't even going to be the skill. We see it on display every time he touched the puck. And we saw it in the NHL in that game he played last year. What it's going to be for Victor Eklund is just how does he handle the physicality of playing more games, usually at two games of preseason, how he looks playing in those games against men. If there's no issues, right, if he's coming out of the boards and winning puck battles or even just being competitive and not just overwhelmed, I think at this point, Eklund is going to make the team. Now, the other forward that really stood out for the island, that's two other forwards, but one other forward that really stood out in rookie camp was Cole Eisenman. A lot of people are hoping that Cole Eisenman makes the team. And I think the way he played in that game did open eyes to the way that he does have a shot. And this is something that's been bothering me all summer long. We talk about who can make the islanders who can't. A lot of times you base the way you look at a prospect pool. You have the top prospects in the forwards and the top prospect for the defenseman, and then you kind of gauge the rest off of that. And sometimes that creates flaws, right? On any other team, Cole Eisenman would be the guy that everyone's saying, oh, you expect this guy to have a real shot at making the team. Just because of Victor Eklund is ahead of him, it's changed that conversation a bit. I don't want to necessarily say that Cole Eisenman is in competition with Eklund to make the team because I do think it's separate. At this point, I'd be surprised if Eklund does not make the islanders or isn't the last cut. But Eisenman, I think, has a real shot here in preseason. And for the record, I'm saying it's a shot. I actually think he's probably going to be one of the last cuts, end up going to the AHL, have a great first three months, and then the islanders will reevaluate in December, maybe make a trade. Or by then, especially looking at oldest rosters, I'm sure there'll be injuries, more injuries at that point. But for Eisenman, a successful rookie, a successful training camp is just going to look like what he's done so far today. And in the two games against the Devils, you really saw all this talk about what he does in defensive zone. There is a lot more effort there than people who probably have been watching him in college have seen. And I haven't watched all his college games, but in all the games I see, I always question why is there talk about this player being one dimensional? Because he's not. Of course, there are areas of his game he can work on. He can work on playmaking. He can work on being a better defensive forward. But just because you're not the best defensive forward does not mean you're not putting an effort in there. And the thing I always notice with Eisenman is he's always trying to be very physical, even in the defensive zone. It's not just when he's trying to get the puck in the offensive zone. He always wants to be on the puck. In terms of scoring, that's the other thing. A player is not one dimensional if they're scoring in different ways. I understand goal scoring is just one aspect of the game. But sometimes Cole Eisenman is painted as this player who's just standing on the dot and taking one timers. The one timer is absolutely incredible. But we saw in that game, he can kind of dangle a bit to get himself to the center of the ice and get a better quality shot. He can also get the scanning is a bit better than people expect. He's also really good just hunting around the front of net for rebounds. There's different ways he scores goals. And for Cole Eisenman, I'm not going to say is successful, but he can't pass to be making the team because I do think the odds are stacked against him. Just because unlike Eklund, who is so refined defensively, I think Eisenman is better than people give him credit for. But I think he does need more time to really feel more comfortable in the professional game. Again, Eisenman played in the NCAA. Victor Eklund played pro hockey. So because of that, he has a leg up on him. But for Eisenman, I think a successful preseason just is showing that he can stick with NHL players, right? Not even doesn't even have to score a goal. If he scores a goal or two, nice. And honestly, at this point, how starved this team might be for offense. The reason I say Cole Eisenman has a shot to make this team, if he scores three goals in two preseason games, the way he scored three goals in those rookie games against the Devils, you're going to have a hard time not putting a player that scores three goals on your team. So I do think there is a chance that maybe he can make this team and end up taking Heidemann's spot on the third line, pushing down to the fourth line. I do think it is unlikely, but you don't put other people talk about him having no shot. I don't think that's the case. It's definitely he's going to have to change people's minds, or I think the default option here for Eisenman is to put him in the NHL while Eklund makes the team. I do think there's a world where the season can start and the third line can be Eklund, Pejo, Heidemann. And with that, I want to talk about the next player in Prokhorov. Prokhorov, I think, had perhaps the most eye-opening rookie games as he showed in those two games that once again, he can just always attack the front of the net. Had two goals in that first game. It looked really impressive. And what I like about Prokhorov is beyond the times that he's scoring, it's how consistently he's doing that every single time. This is a player who knows his role, right? He knows he has to get in front, cause chaos, have tips, and he does it consistently. And the game is simple. I think that's going to translate well into the NHL. For Prokhorov, I think this is just about getting more taste of NHL-style ice. Unlike most Russian players who seem to struggle with this, I actually think the smaller ice is better for Prokhorov's game. He's not a player who likes to do dekes and dangles and do all this skill. He likes to get the puck, put it on his backhand, and drive the front of the net. And that just translates really well into the NHL. I don't think he has much of a chance of making the Islanders, right? Too early. I do think eventually, this is a guy who can legitimately be a difference maker in this lineup. Just not yet. But for him, I think it's just gonna be about showing that he can play physical with NHL bodies, right? Like the other guys. With more emphasis on, like, Joey, he can deliver some hurt to some of these guys, right? He's 6'6", a guy you want to see doing damage. And then this season, hopefully, he has an impactful role in the AHL, where I think he should be. A lot of times he plays in the third line. I would like to see him work his way up to the top six of that AHL team and show he can do more than just bang and score dirty goals, right? If he can kind of get more comfortable with that skill that he has, especially for his size. Prokhorov is a really interesting player. And for a guy I knew nothing about on draft day, I am so glad I didn't make too much of a stink about it because there were some guys that I had circled that I wanted and I was absolutely wrong. I love Prokhorov. I truly think he's one of the, after the Tier A guys, he's one of the best prospects in this system and one that I think can turn into something. Next, I'm gonna talk about Kayshawn Aitchison, who I thought had a really good rookie scrimmage. You know, of course, he got flipped over the boards at one point, but what really caught my attention with Kayshawn Aitchison, and it's something I've been noticing, especially when I caught some of his last games in the AHL playoffs, is yes, he does play that style. And he can play that style where he's being really aggressive, stepping into play, crushing people, jumping into the play, trying to score goals. And that's something at times that he's gotten criticized for as a prospect, because there's questions on how much that can translate to the NHL. But what I really noticed in these games is he also has a really solid passive game where it's clear that Kayshawn Aitchison was doing a lot of that stuff in the OHL because he knows how to read situations and knows when he has open time. We've seen in the prospect game and what he's done so far when he's getting looks at the pro level in preseason last year, he's able to pick his spots. And this is key for Kayshawn Aitchison. We saw a lot how impactful he was in the OHL playoffs. Like he wasn't rushing every single time, but when he saw a play or he saw an opportunity to give his team a goal, he was there. And this is something that I think really raises not necessarily his ceiling. I think the ceiling still is the same, but the floor, I think, has elevated for Kayshawn Aitchison. And I really like what we're seeing. I think it's best for him to play a full season in the AHL. I'm really excited to see him play two games in the preseason and see how it looks. I don't expect him to make the team. I really don't want him to make the team because I think that would be best for his development to just play on a top pair role for the I was about to say the Bridgeport Islanders for the Hamilton Hammers. That would be ideal. And so far, I'm really like I'm impressed with what we have to have seen with Kayshawn Aitchison. I was expecting with all the talk, especially the scouts say about him. I was expecting a lot more of a project, especially his age than what he is at this point. And it's really clear to me that he's continued to work on the skating, which I think is the most important part. I will also note because he is on this list, Isaiah George didn't really have the best rookie camp, right? I'm not worried about that, right? I think that was more for him to just get his legs going. I don't think he was going all in on that. And yeah, you can criticize that if you want in the game. I think he was trying to work on specific things as opposed to trying to be a high level impact guy in that game. I do not worry about that. I still think George is going to have a really solid year. I think he is going to be the seventh defenseman on this team. I've kind of wavered back and forth on that, but especially considering how he's seemingly started to pick up bad habits in the AHL. I think that's the direction they go. And yeah, some other notes on the year because those were the four players I really want to focus on who really stood out in those games. Also, I do want to note one more. Sorry, before we go any further, I really liked Drovetsky for a fifth round pick in this year's draft. This is a guy who I think is going to be a really interesting prospect for the team. He's a guy who didn't get a lot of ice time in his draft year because he was behind two really high level puck moving defenses. But now he's in a different situation. And of course, with these flashy defensemen, he's going to have to find a way to play better defense, right? That's going to be an issue. But in terms of just the offensive potential, this is a player who I think stock is going to skyrocket by the end of this season. In terms of players, really quickly before I just talk about the overall lineup for the start of the preseason, we're going to go quick here. Players I was not impressed with at all in the in the tournament. Callie Adelius, at this point, you're expecting more. And just because of his age, right? I understand he has been playing up to like what you expect he once was as a prospect. But I just expect him to be more comfortable in that game. Consider you've been playing at the A.H. at least for majority of the past two seasons. And it just did not look great. At this point, I don't expect anything from that player. Good depth in the A.H. All you need that. Another player that I was not impressed with was Jesse Polkinen. I understand it takes him some time to get going. But after showing some signs of life last year, I'm just unsure. Looking at the Islanders preseason lines, right? Because those are the players I can discover. And you have any questions on any of the other guys? I'll give my thoughts on them in the console. I really want to focus on those high impact guys. And those are just guys I notice really struggled. But looking at the starting lineup for the preseason, it is looking like Richie is going to be the one that gets a look at center while Barzel also updates from Pete DeBoer. It's sounding like maybe this is going to be more of a precautionary thing where he might, Barzel might just miss two or three games based on the fact that Pete DeBoer is talking about hoping he plays 80 games, which is really encouraging. But in the meantime, it'll be really nice to get a look at Richie as the second line center. Don't love the idea. It just it just doesn't sound like an impressive line. Michelli, Richie, Shen. But again, as a short term thing, this could be really good to evaluate not just Richie, but also Michelli. And with Barzel out, it makes sense to have Shen there. I would say as a babysitter, I don't even know if that quite fits, especially at his age. But as a guy, realistically, the Islanders are desperate for top six office. You're not going to put Michelli, Richie and Eklund as your second line, even that might be a more productive line. I think that's fine. And again, it's early. It can change a lot. I already mentioned I was really impressed to see. Not impressed. I was really excited to see Eklund, Pajot and Heinemann playing together because that's a clear sign that they're giving Eklund the NHL look. A lot of times when guys are on the bubble fighting, they'll kind of be in a line that what Eisenman's on, where you're playing with one guy who's like a NHL guy, normally an extra and a guy who has some potential. So obviously impressive for Larsen that he's finding I really like what Joey Larson has done last year in the NHL. He's a player to keep an eye on, but you normally see yourself in a line like Eisenman is with a guy like McLean. And then, but just not clear signs are going to make the NHL, right? The fact that Eklund is playing with Pajot and Heinemann. I think Peter DeBoer is showing his hand pretty clearly here of what he's hoping to happen in this training camp. Right. And then for the other lineup, right, you know, the other ones have Prokhorov. It should be good to see kind of compare him to Foodie and Jeffries and see what he looks like. At this point, I don't really see much when it comes to Jeffries. And then with the other lineup, Holmstrom, Horvat, Palmieri. This also shows it's pretty clear the Islanders are going to give Holmstrom that first line shot makes a ton of sense for me. I wouldn't mind seeing Holmstrom, Horvat, Eklund, but that might be a lot, especially for your first NHL season. So I just love that Eklund is skating with the NHL guys, right? I'm really excited to see how he looks. Hopefully he plays in that game on Sunday, right? I want to see him play, right? I know every player can only play two games, so weird rules this year. We'll see what happens there. And then for the second, the Louisville View, the fourth line of New York Islanders, this is the one where I'm like, oh boy, you have Palat, Sezekes and Duclair. And then notably, you also have a line of Engvall, Kieffler and Chaffee. Chaffee is a player Matthew Darshak brought in. We do know that Kieffler is a player the Islanders are very high on. And then you have Pierre Engvall on that line. I wouldn't be surprised, you know, like a lot of people are reading this as Palat, Sezekes, Duclair is the fourth line. Upon thinking about this further, I would not be surprised if this is a competition to see what's in the fourth line and all six of those guys are up in the air, right? It could be a situation where perhaps Sezekes is in competition with Kieffler. Like that would be really interesting to see. At least that's what I'm hoping. And then from the defensive pairs, it was pretty standard. You have Pella playing with D'Angelo, Romano playing with Mayfield, which I think corrects the big sin of last year, which was putting Romano with D'Angelo. That was never going to work. It worked even worse than we thought. And then, of course, Matthew Schaefer playing with Ryan Pollock. So, yeah, let me know what you think about all this. I know this is a bit of a longer video as we're going to be doing videos more consistently. I am going to get back down into the season of that 10 minute sweet spot. But hey, let me know what you think about all those young players and what you're excited for and not looking forward to when it comes to this training camp. I'm really curious to know your thoughts. Let's go, Islanders. I can't wait to watch some Islanders hockey this Sunday.