Play It Forward B-Roll While the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are still ongoing, Saturday marks the first off-season deadline for NHL clubs. 56 prospects must be signed to an entry-level contract by 5 PM ET on Saturday, or their respective clubs will lose their rights. Two of those prospects are New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/new-york-islanders-chris-terreri-sergei-naumovs-ilya-sorokin-piero-greco-mitch-korn] draft picks: MATIAS RAJANIEMI, D Selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, defenseman Matias Rajaniemi took strides in becoming a member of the Islanders' organization after signing an an Amateur Tryout (ATO) with the Bridgeport Islanders on March 26. The Islanders have yet to sign him to his ELC, but it's likely that will come to fruition, or there was no point in Bridgeport signing him. Entering the 2020 draft as a power-play quarterback who can shut down the league's best, the Finnish left-side blueliner hasn't really developed into an offensive force, with just eight assists in 53 games this past season. However, at just 21 years old, there's no reason why the Islanders won't ink him before Saturday's deadline. As of now, the Islanders have six Bridgeport defensemen under contract for 2024-25, four of which are left-handers. ALEXANDER LJUNGKRANTZ, LW Taken in the third round (No. 90) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Alexander Ljungkrantz has been playing over in Sweden. The 22-year-old left winger scored a career-high 20 goals with 12 assists for 32 points in 44 games for Almtuna IS, part of HockeyAllsvenkskan, the second-highest league in Sweden, before no points in eight games on loan with Frajestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League. The forward can certainly shoot, playing on Almtuna IS' power play, rifling one-timers from the right face-off dot: Not much has been said about Ljungkrantz, and it's possible that the Islanders won't bring him aboard on an ELC. As of now, Bridgeport has three left-wingers under contract for 2024-25. TOP STORIES
