William Dufour scored a power-play goal on Jan. 13 in a 4-3 loss to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. It was his ninth goal of the season and the third game in a row he found the back of the net. The Bridgeport Islanders are having a rough season, but he’s been one of the bright spots.
After struggling to begin the season, Dufour is hitting his stride, especially on the power play, with six of his goals coming on the man advantage. Additionally, he’s proving he can become a great scorer at the American Hockey League (AHL) level and possibly at the NHL level someday.
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All eyes are on him to eventually make that leap, and he has the potential to do so as one of the New York Islanders‘ top prospects. That said, even with the strides he’s made in recent games, there are still plenty of things Dufour must improve to make the leap and play in the NHL.
Dufour Must Add Playmaking Presence
Despite the great season, the four assists have been underwhelming. Dufour is finding scoring chances and taking advantage with his great shot but isn’t finding open skaters or setting up scoring chances. He had 27 assists last season and is expected to take another step forward in his second season in the AHL. So far, he’s struggled to become a playmaker.
Dufour must step up as a passer and help out the other skaters on his line. He can’t rely on his scoring ability alone to make him stand out, especially since the NHL team has more than enough shooters in the lineup. The Islanders lack versatility and need to add a skater who can both set up scoring chances and find the back of the net. Dufour has to prove he can do both, and so far, his scoring has been the only element of his game that has stood out.
Dufour’s Defensive Play
An issue with the Islanders throughout this season has been their defensive woes. They allowed four goals in the Jan. 11, 4-3 overtime loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds and four goals to the Penguins on Jan. 13 resulting in another loss. They allow 3.42 goals per game, which ranks 27th in the AHL, and it’s one of the reasons they remain in last place in the Atlantic Division.
Dufour isn’t the reason the defense has struggled. The goaltending hasn’t helped, and the defensive unit has allowed opponents to generate shots on the net with ease. With Dufour, it’s about finding a role on the defensive end of the ice and, specifically, leaning into some skillsets that can make him an elite two-way player. At 6-foot-3 and weighing 212 pounds, he’s one of the biggest skaters on the roster and could add a checking presence the way Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck have brought to the NHL team in recent seasons.
Dufour as a Puck Handler
A noticeable change in Dufour’s play has been his willingness to handle the puck and move it up the ice. He’s taken on a bigger role in the forward unit, and with that comes the responsibility to maintain possession and start up the offense. While Ruslan Iskhakov, who was selected as the team’s All-Star, remains the primary puck handler in the forward unit, Dufour has started to emerge as another skater who can fuel the offense.
Bridgeport Needs a Finisher
The offense as a whole lacks a skater who can skate to the crease and take advantage of loose pucks near the net. The young forwards have stepped up as scorers, with Iskhakov scoring a team-leading 12 goals, Dufour adding nine, and Otto Koivala finding the back of the net eight times. However, all three prospects struggled to finish scoring chances the way that Anders Lee has done throughout his NHL career.
Dufour waits for the puck to find him on the wing, an understandable strategy considering it’s helped him become one of the team’s top scorers. An extra layer to his offensive game can and should be his ability to find goals near the net. Finishing off scoring chances will make Dufour a tough skater for opponents to stop and possibly an elite scorer not just at the AHL level but in the NHL as well.
