Islanders rookie camp is in the books and there were a few standouts.
Islanders rookie camp is in the books and there were a few standouts.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders opened rookie camp last Thursday.
The first few days were pretty basic. The players worked on skating and some puck work as they shook off their summer rust and nervousness.
Physicality became a central focal point as the camp progressed with daily board and loose-puck battles.
On day four, the prospects were sandbagged, doing Herb Brooks-like skates back and forth, testing these players' stamina.
Tuesday, the final day after a Monday off day, showcased more physicality, with the players completely understanding what was expected of them.
It seemed that more goals were scored on the last day than on the other four days combined, as players were starting to master the drills.
Maxim Tsyplakov, the Islanders' European free agent signing, was the biggest standout at rookie camp, but given that he's 25 and a shoo-in to make the NHL roster, we are not counting him for this piece.
Here are our three standouts from rookie camp with quotes from rookie camp and Bridgeport Islanders head coach Rick Kowalsky:
Aidan Fulp, D
The 24-year-old undrafted defenseman out of Western Michigan University was one of, if not the best skaters at the camp.
During the bag skate, he led his group by a fair margin and showcased some strong footwork throughout.
He was ultra-confident in his decision-making, and it seemed that his 50 AHL games with Bridgeport last season, playing more when Travis Mitchell suffered an injury, really allowed him to settle in.
Fulp was the only right-handed defenseman at rookie camp, and it's possible that he could be a call-up option if an NHL RHD gets hurt, even though Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said on Monday that defense plays their off-side all the time.
Kowalsky status report: "We liked him last year. All the tools are there. The next step for him is being harder to play against. For me, the puck is handling, all that stuff, it's going to continue to improve, just with confidence and work. But he's got to play big, and he's got to be a defenseman -- when you go to the net, you go to the corner, you know he's coming. And I think that's got to come out in his personality because he can skate. He's strong, he's in unbelievable shape, and he's got all the tools."
Matt Maggio, RW
The 21-year-old former OHL Player of the Year showed vast improvement in his shot from last year to this year.
It wasn't that his shot a year or two ago was necessarily bad—this guy scored 56 goals to win that award and another 16 goals in his first 61 AHL games—but his release seems to have grown exponentially.
Talking with the Islanders 2022 fifth-round pick, Maggio said that he worked with Adam Oates this summer, a former NHL player and coach, to work on his release, given just how quick these netminders are.
Kowalsky status report: "It's not so much his shot. I mean, these guys can all shoot the puck, obviously. He scored, whatever it was, 56 goals. It's about getting time and space to get that shot off. And then how quickly you get it off and not overhandle it. And then working with the school skills coach, because of his size, how does he get off the wall or play against bigger defensemen or free himself up to put himself in the situation to get the puck?" He's not playing against 16 to 18-year-olds. I think it's more about trying to find that space than the goals will come."
Henrik Tikkanen, G
The Islanders' 2020 seventh-round pick played better than we think the club expected in 2023-24.
Starting in the ECHL with the Worcester Railers, Tikkanen showed his best hockey at the AHL level, outplaying Jakub Skarek in 18 games with a 2.10 GAA and a .930 SV%.
A 6'9 goaltender is not supposed to be able to move the way Tikkanen came to move, as his push-offs and control in the crease are exceptional for such a big guy.
He's compact, his rebound control is solid, and given his length, he's never out of a play.
Kowalsky status report: "We had Tikkanen last year. He did a great job for us. He did a really good job. He came in and probably played for more minutes than we originally planned because he took the ball and ran with it. There's no question our goaltending struggled at times last year, and he came in as the third guy, did really well, and took advantage of his opportunity."