August 32-in-32: New York Islanders

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The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects. Every day in August we will be
bringing you a complete breakdown of a team’s Draft and insights into their off-season movements
thus far. Following this up in September, we will dive into every team’s prospect depth chart with
fantasy insights and implications for the upcoming seasons.

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By: William Langstaff

The Islanders finished the season in third place in the Metropolitan division, and yet were left wanting
more. Finishing only 3 points ahead of Washington and Detroit, the playoff race was a success, but one
that was too close for comfort.

This off-season, the Islanders looked to add scoring depth through free agency. The big acquisition of
the summer is, without a doubt, Anthony Duclair. He provides a little extra offense to the line-up,
particularly in the top-six forward group to compliment Matthew Barzal and Bo Horvat. Lou Lamorillo also
landed the KHL goal-scorer, Maxim Tsyplakov, who brings some youth to the team in his first ever
season in North America. However, with the exception of a few other minor moves and re-signings, the
majority of the excitement this summer came from the draft.

Early in May, the Islanders made a trade to swap first and second round picks with the Chicago
Blackhawks, adding a sixth draft pick in the process. With six good value picks to their shallow prospect
pool, the draft was relatively successful. Let’s dive into the draft now.

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NHL Draft

Round 1, 20th Overall – Cole Eiserman, LW

Despite moving back two spots in the draft, the Islanders managed to select the talented left wing, Cole
Eiserman.

Ranked 12th on NHL central scouting’s list of North American Skaters, Eiserman’s stock dropped a little this
season. Questions about his defensive game led some to doubt the American winger, but he responded
well in the under 18 World Championship. In seven games, he recorded nine goals and one assist and was a
driver in the USA silver medal effort.

Eiserman’s season with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) was special. He paced at over a goal-per-game, scoring 58 in 57 games in addition to 31 assists. Eiserman’s season was capped off by breaking the all-time goal scoring record in USNTDP history. He heads to Boston University this fall, where he will take the next step in his development.

Round 2, 54 th Overall – Jesse Pulkkinen, LHD

Jesse Pulkkinen entered the draft as the 15th player on the NHL central scouting list for international
skaters, but projected as a second round draft pick. Pulkkinen was an overage prospect at this
draft—turning 19 in late December 2023—but has shown lots of promise last season.

This pick for the Islanders was a pretty good value. Despite being a little older than many other
prospects in this draft, Pulkkinen has shown incredible development over the last year. At the 2024 IIHF
World Junior Championships, he posted three points in seven games. These numbers might not jump off
the page, but his skating and play making abilities were on full display.

In Liiga play, the top professional league in Finland,Pulkkinen produced eight points in 29 games last
season. Having just signed his entry level contract, expect the 6-foot-6 Finnish defenseman to play a full year
in Liiga, where he will continue to develop while playing against bigger and stronger players. This season should give the Islanders front office and the Islanders fans a better feel for his timing to the NHL and his projection.

Round 2, 61 st Overall – Kamil Bednarik, C

The Islanders were not yet done in the second round, picking USNTDP centerman Kamil Bednarik with the
61st pick. Bednarik is a player that does everything well and does not shy away from the hard areas,
making him a handful for opposing defenses.

Ranked 28th among North American Skaters by NHL central scouting, Bednarik brings a lot of good habits
to the Islanders prospect pool. His high tempo north-south style helps to open space and time for his
team mates and creates havoc at the net front, while playing defensively responsible in his own zone. In
seven games at the U18 World Championships with team USA, he posted two goals and four assists for
six total points, along with 10 penalty minutes. Team USA went on to win silver in that tournament.

In league play, Bednarik had a pretty successful season posting more than a point-per-game pace with
the USNTDP. In 61 games, he managed to contribute 65 points and a plus-21. His hard-nosed and
detailed brand of hockey will fit right in with Boston University in the fall, where he will join fellow USNTDP
alum, Cole Eiserman, for the 2024-25 season.

Round 4, 115 th Overall – Dmitri Gamzin, G

Dmitri Gamzin is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-3, Russian goalie who played last season split between CSKA Moscow in
the KHL and Zvezda Moskow in the VHL. His season in both leagues was incredible. In the VHL he played
23 games posting a 2.42 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. Those numbers alone, should
excite Islanders fans, but the numbers don’t stop there. Gamzin was called up to the KHL for 13 games
this season where he posted an impressive 1.98 GAA and a .937 SV%. He is a very athletic goalie when
he needs to be, but he uses good technique to limit his movements as much as possible. Gamzin’s
contract with CSKA Moscow expires in 2025, so we could see him play in North America next year, if all
plays out well.

Round 5, 147 th Overall – Marcus Gidlof, G

Islanders’ fifth round pick, Marcus Gidlof, is a towering 6-foot-6, 212 pound Swedish born goaltender who
plays for Lekslands IF J20 team. Last season, he boasted a 2.22 GAA and a .923 SV% in 26 appearances
with a record of 14-12-0. He moves with great speed for his size and has a good technical foundation,
but his skating as a whole still needs some work. Perhaps some improvements will come naturally as he
continues to gain strength and improve his coordination, and since he is only 18 years old, he has plenty
of time to develop before making the NHL jump.

Round 6, 179 th Overall – Xavier Veilleux, LHD

With their last pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft, the New York Islanders selected left handed defenseman Xavier Veilleux. The 6-foot-0 tall, two-way defenseman has good skating and is strong in
transition. Veilleux played in 62 regular season games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, scoring three
goals and adding 29 assists for 32 points. He is committed to Harvard and will have the opportunity to
develop in the NCAA before he considers turning pro.

Off-Season Moves

Incoming

Anthony Duclair, signed for four years
Maxim Tsyplakov, signed for one year
Marcus Hogberg, Signed for two years
Kyle McLean, signed for three years
Marc Gatcomb, signed for one year
Frederick Karlstrom, signed for one year
Liam Foudy, signed for one year (two way)
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Outgoing

Ruslan Iskhakov, signed with CSKA Moskow – KHL
Otto Koivula, signed with Vaxjo Lakers – SHL
*

Re-Signed

Mike Reilly, re-signed for one year
Tyce Thompson, re-signed for one year (two way)
Simon Holmstrom, re-signed for one year
Oliver Wahlstrom, re-signed for one year
Dennis Cholowski, re-signed for one year (two way)

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Development Camp and World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS)

Unfortunately for the Islanders prospects and those of us who follow them, the Islanders do not host a
development camp. However, the team does host a rookie camp just before their training camp for
those eligible to participate.

Despite not having the opportunity to showcase themselves at development camp, a few Islanders
prospects received invitations to represent their country at the World Junior Summer Showcase. Cole
Eiserman and Kamil Bednarik were invited for Team USA, but Bednarik could not attend for personal
reasons. Finnish left winger, Jesse Nurmi, performed strongly at the event after returning from an injury
that held him out for much of last season.

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Analysis

Much is yet to be seen, but this could be a strong offseason for the New York Islanders. Last season, the
team struggled with some depth scoring, which was addressed this offseason with a few good signings.
Adding Duclair to the mix should provide Barzal and Horvat more options and increase their fantasy
value. However, the true value of the offseason will likely be determined by the effectiveness of a few
other players. All eyes will be on Maxim Tsyplakov and his impact. At 6-3, 190 pounds, and only 25 years
old, Tsyplakov finished 22 nd in scoring for the KHL with 47 points in 65 games. He uses his size to bully his
way to scoring areas and his powerful shot causes significant problems for goalies. If his play can
translate well to the North American style and the NHL skill level, he should provide some much needed
offensive depth. On the defensive side, the organization putting pen to paper with Mike Reilly for one
more year ensures some good depth this season. Furthermore, the addition of Marcus Hogberg gives
the team some more depth at goaltending behind Sorokin and an aging Semyon Varlomov. Finally, Re-
signing Simon Holmstrom also bodes well for the club. Though his role is more bottom six right,
Holmstrom is young and adds some additional speed and skill to the roster. He also brings responsible
defense to the forward core, and he will get the opportunity to develop at the NHL level.

The 2024 draft added some promising prospects to a pretty depleted pool. Eiserman and Bednarik’s
development at Boston University will be exciting to watch. Eiserman brings some sky high potential
with an opportunity to prove it at the NCAA level this year. While Bednarik’s ceiling is not as high as
Eiserman’s, he is a skilled forward that does a lot of things well. Defenseman Jesse Pulkkinen will be
interesting to follow, as well, when returns to Finland to play for JYP in the Liiga. Although his ceiling is
high, he will really need to prove himself this year. Both goaltenders selected in this draft have some
good upside potential.

This offseason has been a little under the radar for the Islanders, especially compared to some of the
other teams. Yet, there have been a few high upside moves which will address a key need. Whether or
not the moves made will be enough is yet to be determined. It is unlikely that the Islanders are going to
be in first place in the Metropolitan Division, but they will likely be in the top three and will certainly
compete for a playoff spot.