Andrew Forbes of The Hockey Writers recently published a prospect pyramid for the Toronto Maple Leafs, inspiring me to do the same for the New York Islanders. If you are unfamiliar with what a pyramid style of ranking is, it is essentially a method to evaluate a team’s prospect pool based on tiers rather than a one-by-one ranking system. Differing opinions result in various lists, while a pyramid better represents a prospect’s ceiling. I will be copying his tier system.
Pyramid Tiers
Tier 1 — Elite or top-line, top-pair talent
Tier 2 — Top-six forward, top-four defender, starting goaltender
Tier 3 — Third-line forward, bottom-pair defender, backup goaltender
Tier 4 — Role players, bottom-line forward, depth defenceman or forward
Tier 5 — Minor league player used for call-ups
To qualify for this list, players must be eligible for the 2025 Calder Trophy. With these criteria, Maxim Tsyplakov, Samuel Bolduc, and Simon Holmstrom are notable young players who cannot make this list.
Tier 1
Elite or Top-Line, Top-Pair Talent: Cole Eiserman
Cole Eiserman is the only Islanders prospect to earn placement in this tier. The team’s 2024 first-round pick was ranked eighth on The Hockey Writers Final Consensus Picks and had rankings as high as four and five heading into the draft. He is a 6-foot, 196-pound winger who scored 83 goals in 81 games for the United States Developmental Program (USDP) last season. He has an elite wrist shot and will be joining Boston University this season.
Related: Islanders Drafting Cole Eiserman Was Best Case Scenario
Eiserman’s ceiling is as a first-line, 40+ goal scorer. He was one of the most skilled players available in the 2024 Draft and etched himself into the USDP’s record book when he passed Cole Caufield for the cumulative all-time goals record for the program with 127. He has some areas of his game to work on, but in terms of raw upside, Eiserman easily fits into this tier.
Tier 2
Top-6 Forward, Top-4 Defender, Starting Goaltender: Danny Nelson, Kamil Bednarik, Calle Odelius, Jesse Pulkkinen
The Islanders have a lot of prospects with NHL potential in the prospect pool, but Danny Nelson, Kamil Bednarik, Calle Odelius, and Jesse Pulkkinen stick out with their impressive production and talent. Nelson and Bednarik are each USDP products who were selected in the second round by the Islanders as some of the youngest players in their respective draft classes.
Nelson finished his freshman season with Notre Dame, recording nine goals and 23 points in 30 games as one of the best two-way centers and faceoff takers in the NCAA. Bednarik will be joining Eiserman at Boston University this season, looking to build on his strong hand-eye coordination and hockey IQ while finding his way onto the scoresheet more. The two centers need some additional development but both project to become middle-six forwards with top-six upside.
Odelius and Pulkkinen were also recent second-round draft picks by the Islanders as left-handed defensemen from Europe. Odelius missed most of last season with an injury, so there is some uncertainty about where his game is. His defensive play has stood out in the games he’s played, but he needs to improve his offensive production to elevate his game to the next level. He is skilled and has demonstrated his abilities before, but finding his way to the scoresheet more often is imperative for his NHL ambitions.
Pulkkinen was a second-year draft eligible taken by the Islanders this past June, so he can essentially be viewed as a 2023 draft pick. He is tall, 6-foot-6 to be exact, and plays a confident, physical game. He is very talented and stood his ground in Finland’s premier men’s league last season, but needs to continue his development this season to make the selection worthwhile. Luckily for the Islanders, Pulkkinen was given a first-round grade by many scouts, so there should be optimism he can develop into a top-four defenseman within the next few seasons.
Tier 3
Third-Line Forward, Bottom-Pair Defender, Backup Goaltender: Alex Jefferies, Isaiah George, Quinn Finley, Matthew Maggio, William Dufour, Dmitri Gamzin
Alex Jefferies is an exciting prospect due to his strong two-way game and ability to play both the left and right wing. While there is a lot of confidence he can develop into an NHL winger, his upside is limited since no part of his game stands out. However, a strong rookie season with the Bridgeport Islanders could propel the 22-year-old into the tier above.
Isaiah George is a fun prospect given his similarities to Islanders defenseman, Adam Pelech. However, George does not have the offensive skillset to develop into a top-four defenseman, at least not yet, leaving him as a projected bottom-pairing guy.
Quinn Finley has one of the best shots in the Islanders’ prospect pool but is yet to light up the scoresheet. He tallied 10 goals and 16 points in 36 games for the Wisconsin Badgers last season, impressive numbers for his rookie season. Now in an elevated role with the Badgers losing forwards Charlie Stramel and Cruz Lucius, Finley could be in line to break out and jump into tier two. If not, his NHL ambitions likely decline a tier.
Quinn Finley makes it 10 goals for USA.#USAhockey #IIHF #WorldJuniors #SuivsUSA #TeamUSApic.twitter.com/vk1LUOyi4g https://t.co/ElvzJMOcxR
— Nick McCardell (@UKhoops1_BBN) December 28, 2023
Matthew Maggio and William Dufour had up-and-down seasons with Bridgeport last season. Both forwards are vying for a roster spot, so they will each need to round out their games to get the callup. However, neither’s skill set screams top-six potential, leaving them with a third-line upside.
Dmitri Gamzin is a 6-foot-3 goaltender who spent the past eight years as a member of CSKA Moskva, the same organization as Ilya Sorokin, in the KHL. Gamzin went 7-4-1 in 13 KHL games, posting a 1.98 goals-against average (GAA) and a .937 save percentage (SV%). To compare this to Sorokin’s age-21 season, he went 25-7-6 with a 1.61 GAA and a .929 SV%. These are very strong numbers for Gamzin, but he will need to replicate his performance this season to gain serious consideration as a top goaltending prospect.
Tier 4
Role Players, Bottom-Line Forwards, Depth Defenceman or Forward
The Islanders do not have any players that fit this tier. It is likely a few of the players mentioned in the tiers above regress into tier four, but the team has historically had a fourth line of grinders and free-agent acquisitions. As well, current NHLers in Bolduc, Casey Cizikas, Kyle MacLean, Simon Holmstrom, and Scott Mayfield will be occupying these roles for the foreseeable future, leaving this tier vacant.
Tier 5
Minor-League Players Used for Call-Ups: Jesse Nurmi, Henrik Tikkanen, Marcus Gidlof, Cam Berg, Zachary Schulz, Alexander Ljungkrantz, Xavier Veilleux, Justin Gill, Dennis Good Bogg
The Islanders have a lot of late-round prospects who have some skill and experience but lack the upside and production to earn NHL consideration. However, most of these prospects are expected to sign NHL contracts at some point in the next few seasons if they have not already, leaving them with the potential to earn call-ups once they rack up enough experience in Bridgeport.
