Aleksi Malinen

January 2025 – Malinen has spent the entirety of this season in the Liiga with JYP. So far, it has been a quiet season for the defenseman, with only two points in 15 games this year. He was never expected to be the most dynamic or offensive player, but the hope was that he would provide a little more than he has so far this year. The Islanders still hold his rights, but he is still unsigned by the team that drafted him back in 2021. He will need to show more this season to get a long look from the NHL club. William Langstaff

August 2023 – Malinen held his own against U20 players last season and is still a longer-term prospect. His offensive output in Liiga did not improve much, but that is fine, as the 20-year-old still has a ways to go before he has any chance of playing for the Islanders. James Iacovone

January 2023 – Malinen still looks like a long-term project. His offensive production in the Liiga has not improved since his draft year, and he recorded just a single assist in five games at the World Junior Championship. That being said, he played a defensively minded third pairing role quite well against some of the best U20 players in the world. If he were to make it to the NHL, he would almost certainly play a similar role at that level. Graham Montgomery

June 2022 – The Islanders have made only five draft picks in the first three rounds during the past three years. Malinen exemplifies the kind of late-round acquisition the Isles need to graduate to the NHL to help keep them competitive. Picked in the sixth round (189th overall) of the 2021 draft, the 19-year-old has a skill set that allowed him to play 30 games in Finland’s top men’s league as a 17-year-old. He doesn’t avoid physical play and is an effortless, mobile skater capable of beating forecheckers and bringing the puck out of his zone. That said, it’s hard to get a read on him because of a lack of offensive production, which is why he was available so late in the draft. However, it’s unfair to criticize him for getting just three points as a teen facing the hardened men of the Liiga. Still, Malinen totaled a mere four goals and three assists in five international tournaments in the past four years against fellow junior players. His offensive apex came during the 2021-22 campaign when he compiled three goals and 14 assists for JYP’s U-20 squad. He’s expected to stick with JYP of the Liiga in the coming season when scouts should get a more accurate read on his potential. He’ll need to get stronger to have any chance of succeeding in North America. At this point, he looks like a long-term project. Mark Allan