The New York Islanders top prospects have stepped up in their brief time in the AHL, making it a matter of time before they are standouts on the NHL team.
It’s a delicate balance for teams and the coaches in the American Hockey League between letting their prospects play valuable minutes and throwing them into the fire. The Bridgeport Islanders saw Cole Eiserman and Victor Eklund join the team with just a few games left in the season and the question was whether Rocky Thompson would use them in all situations and if they’d be ready for that responsibility.
Thompson opened the door for both prospects and they’ve kicked it down. Eiserman has played alongside the Islanders veteran playmakers and Eklund has been asked to drive play on his line, which he’s done masterfully. Both skaters scored on the power play in their 7-3 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and it’s a reflection of how confident Thompson and the Islanders are in the prospect duo, who will be on the New York Islanders roster soon enough.
Eiserman is a Scorer Who is Making The Most of his Looks -
Eiserman spent two seasons in college before joining the Islanders. The skill of the 2024 first round pick was unquestioned, but it was unknown how he’d adapt to the AHL and NHL, two leagues that are bigger and require players to play the full length of the ice. In the AHL, the Islanders leaned into his strengths.
From day one, Thompson played him on the Matthew Highmore and Matt Luff line, allowing him to make the most of his skill on the wing. On top of that, the winger plays significant time on the power play, which has given him open looks and allowed him to showcase his offense. “The message for him is to come in, play and have fun. You’ve got a ton of games ahead of you in your career,” Highmore noted in a conversation with The Hockey News and based on the way he’s played along with the team around him, he’s had plenty of fun.
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Eiserman has only scored two goals and added two assists in nine games with the AHL team. However, he’s made a significant impact that goes beyond the stat sheet. Opponents must respect his shot, and it’s opened things up for Luff and Highmore, a duo that has a combined 89 points this season.
Eklund Has Exceeded Expectations
There’s always a question about how overseas players will adapt to the North American game. The rink is smaller and the game is more physical. Eklund was a standout in Sweden but the question was whether his skill would decline when the game tightened up and space was hard to come by.
Eklund removed all doubt six games into his AHL career. He’s scored two goals and added seven assists with playmaking ability that allows the Islanders to move him around in the lineup. His ability to drive play and make the skaters around him better have allowed Thompson to play him on a second or third line to give the Islanders more depth in their offense while moving him to the power play to add a spark.
Between the two prospects, Eklund is the one who is ahead of schedule. Like Eiserman, these games were meant to be a learning curve for the Swedish winger, yet he looks unfazed by the AHL. It’s made some wonder whether the NHL team, which has struggled to find offense all season, averaging only 2.8 goals per game, should call him up for a late season push for the playoffs. A call up at this point in the season is unlikely but he’s already setting himself up for a significant role in the NHL next season.
Prospect Duo Highlights Islanders Successful Retool
The Mathieu Darche era of the Islanders and the retool he’s taken on is highlighted by Matthew Schaefer, the generational talent who already looks like a top-of-the-league defenseman. Schaefer kickstarted the retool. The other prospects will define how successful it ends up being.
The Bridgeport team has done a great job getting most of their prospects, something that wasn’t the case a season ago. Alex Jefferies and Isaiah George took steps forward when they were struggling last season on a historically bad team. The winning environment and Thompson’s willingness to let the prospects showcase their skills have helped the prospects develop.
Eiserman and Eklund have impressed in their short times with the AHL team. Eiserman might need another season in the AHL but he looks like a winger the NHL team will eventually have as a staple in their top six. Eklund meanwhile might be on the second or third line by the start of next season, joining Schaefer, Calum Ritchie, and a young core that the team will start building around. The Islanders might look back at this season as a letdown since the NHL team looks like it will come up short in the playoffs but in the big picture, they must like what they’ve seen from the retool and the prospects who have made it possible.