We here at 2PS are looking at the top five prospects in each system. Then we had a thought: everyone and their mother likely has a list up on their blog, so why not do a different take on it? Instead of a straight top five, we’ll take a look at the top forward, top defender, top goalie, top overall prospect and the top dark horse prospect. Also, if a player earns top prospect nods, the top positional spot will be filled by the next best at that positional group.
Today, we’re looking at the New York Islanders.
Disclaimer: we’re following NHL rookie qualification rules here. If anyone has played 25 or more NHL games in a season, they are disqualified from consideration. That means you, Ryan Strome.
With that in mind, let’s go!
Top Overall Prospect: Griffin Reinhart
Reinhart has been highly-touted since the moment he was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. At 20-years old, he’s already put in four seasons for the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings, helping them win a Memorial Cup last season.
He’s the total package: size (6’4”, 217), skill, skating and intangibles. The Islanders have been counting down the days, waiting for Reinhart to step into the lineup and they may not have to wait much longer. His potential is as high as there is for a defenseman in the NHL and there are few defensive prospects that can match him.
Projected Role: Top-pairing defenseman
Player Comparable: It’s as lofty as the hype surround him: Nicklas Lidstrom. In case you forgot, Lidstrom was only one of the game’s best defensemen for two decades who won a measly seven Norris Trophies as the NHL’s top defenseman to go with his four Stanley Cup championships. No pressure.
Timeline: It would be surprising if Reinhart didn’t make the Islanders out of camp. At 20, he’s done it all on the junior level and has shown progress that suggests he’s ready for the big-time. If he struggles, he’ll land in Bridgeport Sound, but expect him to see the NHL at some point in 2014/15.
Top Forward: Anders Lee
I was a bit tempted to make this Michael Dal Colle, the newest Islander selected fifth overall in 2014. Instead, I went with Lee, the budding 24-year-old power forward. At 6’3” 225, Lee brings size and physicality to the forward ranks and showed a surprising knack for putting the puck in the net, scoring nine goals and 14 points in his 22 game stint with the Islanders last year.
He’ll need to refine his defensive game, but Lee has the flexibility to play either wing or center and could make the Islanders very difficult to play against with big bodies like himself, Kyle Okposo and Brock Nelson in the lineup.
Projected Role: Top-six forward
Player Comparable: Milan Lucic. He might not be the imposing fighter that Lucic is, but he’s got the big body, the physical game and the hands to fit the description. Let’s hope he can doesn’t have the “punk” side that Lucic does.
Timeline: His brief stint with the Islanders last year should serve as an appetizer for a full-time gig this season. He has a very strong chance of making the team out of camp and could start off on the third line, seeing opportunities with the big boys depending on how he plays.
Top Defenseman: Ryan Pulock
The Islanders seem to have this weird affinity for offensive defensemen, but at least they’re managing to find the good ones. Pulock is the latest in a line of puck-movers and he’s shown to be quite the offensive presence, finishing as the Brandon Wheat Kings’ all-time leading scorer among defensemen with 64 and becoming just the fifth defenseman in team history to register 200 career points.
Pulock has a big body (6’1” 218) that is hard to push off the puck, but his real strength is his cannon shot and his mobility. He’s capable of leading the power play and becoming a dangerous presence from the blue line when he gets a chance to let it rip.
Projected Role: Top-four defenseman
Player Comparable: Dan Boyle/Kevin Shattenkirk. Both are solid defensemen that excel in the opponent’s zone, though it did take both a while to develop into the defensemen they are today.
Timeline: It’s more than likely that Pulock will begin the season in the AHL with Bridgeport Sound, but a strong camp could see him get a brief look in the NHL. Expect him to get close to full-time status in 2015/16.
Top Goalie: Linus Soderstrom
Taken in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft, Soderstrom seems to fit the mold of your standard late-round European goalie find. He’s a big body (6’3”) that has been playing well in Sweden’s junior circuit, playing well for a middling Djurgarden team.
In addition to his size, he’s shown good quickness and a calm that will become a necessity should he make it to the NHL. He’ll need time to develop, but the son of Tommy Soderstrom could end up being a find for the Islanders.
Projected Role: High-end backup
Player Comparison: This might feel insulting, but he reminds me a lot of Tommy Salo, a fellow Swede. Salo was a big body with good mobility that nearly became a star in the NHL. Then he allowed one of the worst goals in Olympic history and was never the same again.
Timeline: It will likely be a few years before Soderstrom makes the jump across the pond, where he’ll likely spend a year or two in the AHL before being a threat to make any noise on Long Island. Look for him to start challenging in 2017/18.
Top Dark Horse: Scott Mayfield
A second-round pick in the 2011 Draft, Mayfield’s hype has calmed itself a bit, but he’s still looking like a force to be reckoned with. After two successful seasons at the University of Denver, the 21-year-old made the jump to the AHL in 2013/14 and lived up to the speculation that he was a physical force, logging 129 penalty minutes in 71 games for Bridgeport Sound last year.
Though it doesn’t look like his offensive game will ever be much to call home about, the 6’5” 220 defender will be one of those defenseman forwards dread having to go up against. He aims to punish and punish he does.
Projected Role: Bottom-pair defenseman
Player Comparison: A homeless-man’s Chris Pronger. He doesn’t have the offensive abilities Pronger did, but he’s got the size, the physicality and the mean streak that Pronger had. That will make him extremely difficult to play against at the pro level.
Timeline: He’s definitely got another year in the AHL ahead of him, but he could start challenging for a spot out of camp as soon as the 2015/16 season. Look for him to land in Long Island full-time in 2016/17.
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