When Will the New York Islanders Top Forward Prospects Be NHL Ready?

It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. I just learned to discover credit cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year they automatically double all the cash back you've earned. That's right, everything you earned doubled. All the cash back from meeting at your favorite soup, dumpling restaurant, doubled. All the cash back from the trip where you sorta learned how to snowboard, also doubled. And the best part, you don't have to do anything ridiculous to get it. Nope, Discover does it automatically. Seriously though, see terms and check it out for yourself at discover.com slash match. Today we take a look at some of the Islanders top forward prospects. Who are they? How close are they to being able to play for the Islanders and what would they bring to the table? We've got that and a lot more on today's locked on Islanders podcast. Slides it out for Egglack. Back to Hoffman, one by the Lockdown! Slides another spectacular stop! For Sartis it up and a save is made by Mabrovsky Nelson. Lars out with the open net, and he scores! Hi and welcome to the Lockdown Islanders podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm your host, Gil Martin. I'm an Islanders columnist and historian and I wrote the book Ice Wars which covers the complete history of the Islanders rivalry with the Rangers from 1972 to the modern era. And welcome everybody to the Friday edition of the Lockdown NHL podcast. Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Want to thank everyone for making Lockdown NHL your first listen every day. Don't forget to subscribe either on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast and you can now follow us also on SiriusXM on the SXM app. Just do a search for Lockdown Islanders. Today's episode is brought to you by Bird Dogs. Go to birddogs.com slash Lockdown NHL and when you enter promo code Lockdown NHL, go throw in a free custom Bird Dogs Yeti style tumblr with every order. Lots to discuss on today's show. We're going to talk prospects today a little bit. And first, if there's something Islanders related on your mind, if you have a question, a comment, maybe a topic you'd like us to talk about on a future episode, feel free to send us an email, the email address, locked on Islanders at gmail.com. And if you leave your name and where you're from, we are happy to mention you on the show when we discuss whatever it is that's on your mind. You can also follow the show on Twitter at Lockdown IELS and you can follow me, Gil Martin on Twitter at Ice Wars, NYR, VSNYI. We'll keep you up to date on all the latest Islanders news notes and happenings and that includes hiring, firings, trade rumors, free agency and the draft. It's going to be a busy off season and we'll have it all for you right here on the Lockdown Islanders podcast. So we've been talking throughout this off season and even before that, every day as you know this about this team getting younger, faster and more skilled. And one of the things we've discussed is the fact that because of Lou Lamarello being more of a win now guy, being a GM who prefers to go with veterans he trusts and that was certainly true of Barry Trots. And for the most part though not as drastically it seems true of Lane Lambert. Lamarello has also traded away some number one picks. It's been what? Four years? This will be the fourth straight year. The Islanders do not have a first round draft choice. So the Farm Club or the basically the Farm System, the Prospect Pipeline, it's pretty bare. The hockey news during the off season ranked the Islanders 25th, gave them a C plus for their prospects. And the Athletic ranked them 27th and that was before the trade of Attu Ratu in the Bo Horvat deal. So we're not looking at a pipeline that is gushing with available talent that is right now NHL ready. And I think that's a big part of it. And when you look at the four players who are on the list that we're going to discuss today, I don't think any of them are really ready to contribute as full time NHLers this coming season, maybe one. But overall I think you know three of these people may get some ice time this coming year. But as far as being regular full time in the top 12 forward rotation, I don't necessarily think we're going to see that. And if we do, it would require either an injury or a really incredible training camp by one of these four people. So the first one, and this is a guy that everybody has been talking about, and we've been talking about as well every day, as we'll know that, is William DuFour. And DuFour made his NHL debut with the Islanders this year. Played in only one game was on the ice for what, six, seven minutes. Was a minus two. Coughed up the puck, made a bad play early in the game relatively, like early in the second period. And then he was benched for the rest of the game. It was a rather inauspicious debut in the NHL for William DuFour. And it came against the Boston Bruins no less. And those of you who are watching on YouTube, that is our photo on today's episode. He did play most of this season with Bridgeport, and it was DuFour's very first professional season. And in 69 games with the Bridgeport Islanders, DuFour scored 21 goals, had 48 points, 51 penalty minutes and was a minus 13. Those are solid numbers. They're not unbelievable numbers, but they're solid numbers. And look, DuFour is big. He's 6'2", 215. And we've talked about this in Power Fowards, and that's sort of the way he would project tend to take a little bit longer to be NHL ready. And it's logical if you think about it. If you need to use your size to be effective, and you're used to playing against teenagers and junior players, or even against AHL players, NHL players are bigger, stronger, faster, on average, across the board, than AHL players. So if you need to be physical, you need to adjust. It takes a little bit longer. Realistically, DuFour is a fifth round pick back in 2020. He's only 21, won't turn 22 till the middle of next season. I would say that he is another year away. I'm sure he'll get another cameo or two at some point this year. But I think William DuFour and the hockey news agrees. NHL ready according to the hockey news in 2024, 2025. So hopefully, hopefully, he continues to build. And everyone wants to see him build on that great 2021-2022 season that he had with the St. John C. dogs in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, 56 goals and 116 points in 66 games. So that's the upside. That's what you want to see eventually from DuFour. The next guy up on the list is Matthew Magio. And Magio even younger than DuFour. Only 20, native of Tecumseh, Ontario, 6' 185 pounds, fifth round pick by the Islanders in 2022. This is a great season with the Windsor Spitfires, 54 goals, 111 points, 1-0 MVP. And then signed a tryout deal with the Bridgeport Islanders, played the last three games of the season for Bridgeport and had two assists and was a plus two. Now, to say three games is a very, very small sample size. I think that is sort of an understatement. But Magio really took a big step forward. And look, he has yet to play more than three games of professional hockey. I think this kid has a good scoring touch. He's going to need to prove that the scoring touch he had in juniors can translate to the NHL. And I think first he's going to need to prove that it translates to the AHL. Magio needs at least one, maybe two or at least one and a half, two seasons in the AHL to show that he's ready to make that step up to the big time. But he looks like a fifth round steal as of now. All right, we still have two more players to discuss who are offensive prospects who should eventually help this hockey team. So we've got that. Plus, we'll take a look at Sebastian Ajo season and whether or not he is, you know, what his role will be with the Islanders next year. We've got a whole lot more still to come on today's Lockdown Islanders podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by Bird Dogg, Detention Active Individuals, a retired of sacrificing comfort for style when it comes to active wear. Well, introducing Bird Dogg's, the game changer in athletic shorts. The premium shorts design for maximum performance combined with unparalleled comfort. Bird Dogg's are here to revolutionize your workout routine. They have a unique built in liner and they offer the ultimate support and flexibility ensuring that you stay comfortable during even the most intense workouts. And here's the best part. 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All the cash back from that trip where you sort of learned to snowboard also doubled. And the best part, you don't have to do anything ridiculous to get it. Nope, discover does it automatically. Seriously though, see terms and check it out for yourself at discover.com backslash match. So a couple more prospects to look at as we look at the Islanders top offensive prospect and believe me, these four, they're not in any particular order at this point. Got to talk about Alex Jeffries, the left wing native of Loonenberg, Massachusetts. He's 21. He'll turn 22 in November, so fairly early in the upcoming season. He's a fourth round pick by the aisles back in 2026 foot 195 pounds. He is going to enter his senior season at Merrimack College. And last year, he had 14 goals and 41 points in 38 games. So better than a point again, player, he was a plus nine in those 38 games. And again, Jeffries, he was one of the elite offensive players on Merrimack. And here's what I sort of expect from Jeffries. He's more of a playmaker than a shooter. But the basic thing is this. Jeffries is the kind of player. If he goes back as expected for that senior year, he will be closer to being NHL ready, maybe than some of these other players because he's a little older and he's got the four years of college experience. The odds are he signs a pro contract as soon as the Merrimack College season is over and then finishes the season either in the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders or in the NHL with the New York Islanders, although I'll put it to you this way. The only way he probably is in the NHL is if there are injuries, he absolutely blows everybody away at Merrimack or the Islanders are just out of contention and looking to bring in some young players for the last few games of the season to see what he could do. I think Jeffries could be a good playmaking wing. Maybe somebody who eventually could help Bo Horvat on a certain level, but again, I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let's see how he adjusts from college, how he does in his last year in college, and then how he adjusts to the pro game. Pro game, more physical, different style usually than the college game, so it should be interesting. And the fourth and final prospect that we are talking about here is Ruslan Iskacov, the Moscow native originally drafted by the Islanders back in 2018 in the second round, and Iskacov had his first pro season here in North America last year, played in 69 games, had 17 goals and 51 points with the Bridgeport Islanders, 50 penalty minutes. Iskacov got off to a very good start, kind of slumped in the middle and then stabilized his game at the end of the season. You like the skill that he brings to the table? The big concern, he's 5'9", 165 pounds. Now, in the AHL, he proved that he was capable of getting the job done, played two seasons at the University of Connecticut, so we know he's not a complete stranger to the North American game, but the size is the big concern. Iskacov probably the closest to being NHL ready out of these four players, but he's not. Will Lulamarello and Will Lane Lambert trust that a 5'9", 165 pound player? And remember, that's what they list him as, usually they're a little generous with these numbers, but will they be able to trust that he can play the NHL game and do it the right way? This will be the last year of his entry level contract, he will be a restricted free agent after the 2023-2024 season. I think he gets a long look in training camp, but he'll really have to impress it. He had a good training camp last year, got sent down anyway. This is a chance, out of all the players, Iskacov could be the one who could possibly crack the NHL roster this year. Here's the drawback though. Although he has also played on the wing, occasionally, Iskacov is a center, and the Islanders have five NHL caliber centers right now in Horvat, Barzal, Pejoe, Nelson and Sizikis. You want the skill of Iskacov, you want the hands that he brings to the table, the passing ability that he brings to the table. If he was a wing, I think he'd have a better chance of cracking the lineup. Now Iskacov, a lot could happen between now and the end of training camp, whether it's a trade or whether it's a retirement or whether it's a move from one position to another, a lot of possible things are on the table right now. But Iskacov was not called up at all this year. A lot of people were calling for it, and I think number one, he'll get a chance, he'll get a long look in the preseason, number one, and number two, I think, again, assuming he stays healthy, and then number two, I think this year, if injuries hit, Iskacov is near the top of the list as far as players who the Islanders would recall. All right, we've got more to get to on this episode of the Lockdown Islanders podcast, Sebastian Ajo, the Islanders Sebastian Ajo. How was his season? Did he meet expectations? What is his future like with the Islanders? We're going to break that down. That and a whole lot more still to come on today's Lockdown Islanders podcast. The ping pong balls have spoken, the San Antonio Spurs have won the NBA draft lottery and have the right to select Victor when Binyama first overall in the 2023 NBA draft. I can't believe it happened. The Las Vegas Golden Knights are one series away from the team's first Stanley Cup finals appearance sentence and argual season. It is the Western Conference Finals, and we are here for it. And the Denver Nuggets remain unbeaten at home in the NBA playoffs to take a 2-0 series lead with them to Los Angeles. That's the thing about your mom, man. That guy is a winner. For more on all these stories, check out the newest episodes of Lockdown Spurs, Lockdown Golden Knights and the Lockdown Nuggets. Then check out Lockdown's new series, Paving the Way. Each episode will highlight a different voice from across the network. A Lockdown host whose journey in the industry has helped to pave the way toward creating a more inclusive and diverse media landscape. That's Paving the Way presented by State Farm, available on the Lockdown Presents podcast for you. So we look at Sebastian Ajo, the Swedish native, originally drafted by the aisles in the fifth round in 2017. Ajo, 27 years old, turned 27 in February, and really played his first full NHL season this year. He was behind Robin Sallow on the depth chart at the very beginning of the season, but after what? Four or five games. Ajo took over the sixth defenseman spot and pretty much held down that position for the rest of the year. In 71 games, Ajo, five goals, 23 points. He was a plus nine and had only 22 penalty minutes. And here's the thing about Ajo. I like what he can bring you offensively. The only average 16 minutes and 46 seconds of ice time. So he was sort of the lowest guy on the totem pole when it came to ice time unless you had a Parker, Wetherspoon, or Samuel Bolduke also in the lineup. The guys who were just called up for a game or two or three to try to fill in when other players were injured. So he really was the sixth defenseman most of the season for the Islanders. But people expected him to be the seventh. So he did take a step up in that respect. And look, Ajo is pretty good at passing the puck, moving the puck. He did help on the second power play unit, had a pair of power play assist this year. And you know, in game six of the series against Carolina, they moved Ajo to power play one. But I think he did a better job as the quarterback of the power play than Noah Dobson had done up until that point. Now, I know it's a low bar based on how absolutely bad that power play was over the course of the playoffs and most of the season. But Ajo did bring a little bit of a spark at least in that last game. And he had 69 block shots in 71 games, so he's not afraid of that kind of a play. Only 38 hits though, the physical side of the game, not his forte. And that's the big drawback. Ajo is generously listed at 5'10", 186 pounds. But it's the lack of size that really limits what he can do defensively. I think Ajo grew as a defenseman positionally over the course of this past season. He was smarter positionally as the season went on. But even so, he is not ever going to be more than an average defensive defenseman at best just because he's giving away 25 pounds to a lot of these forwards who he's trying to cover and he's giving away size and height. And it just makes it tough sometimes for him to win puck battles along the boards. And it just limits what he's capable of doing. And yeah, there are little things you could learn to try to improve and Ajo has learned some of them. But again, he's not a prospect anymore. He's 27. He's in his prime. This is more or less what Sebastian Ajo is going to be. And while I feel he can be an asset on the power play, and I think he should get a chance to do more on the power play in training camp, and hopefully the system, how they operate on the power play changes as well, but Ajo really will need to prove himself. And just I'm just concerned that if he is your sixth defenseman, you can't have another vulnerable defenseman in their own zone in your top six. Having Ajo and Dobson out on the ice at the same time in the second half of last year, put the Islanders behind the eight ball in many games. And the fact that Lane Lambert paired the two of them together on, you know, for many, many games as well, to me was too much of a defensive liability in one pair. So I think Ajo comes back, competes for the sixth, maybe, you know, the sixth defense spot again. And then the question is, is he the six or the seven? I can't see him being anything more than the, you know, the five. Really, he's a third pair guy with a role possibly on the power play. In salary, this is the last year of his contract coming up, $825,000 salary and cap hit, and then he's an unrestricted free agent. So clearly for Ajo, the left handed shot, this is a critical year and he has every bit of motivation to keep improving his game and to earn that next contract, whether it's with the Islanders or somewhere else. So we'll see how that plays out for Sebastian. Ajo, I think he's back in training camp and I think he, he battles for that six spot. But if the Islanders can get that better puck moving defense, man that we've talked about, I'm perfectly comfortable with Ajo being the seventh defense man on this roster. And now for our Islanders birthday of the day and Saturday will be the 56th birthday of former Islanders defense men, Bob Beers. Beers a tenth row pick of the Bruins back in 1985 played at the University of Maine for three seasons after one year at Northern Arizona University and then made his NHL debut with the Bruins in the 1989-90 season. He's a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, played for the Bruins, the Lightning, the Oilers and then joined the Islanders for the 94-95 season, split the 96-97 season, excuse me, the 95-96 season with the aisles and then 96-97 split between the Providence Bruins of the AHL and the Boston Bruins, he played in 258 career NHL games, 28 goals, 107 points, 225 penalty minutes. You could add 21 playoff games, but none of those were with the Islanders and with the aisles. You know, he was never really a full-time kind of a player, played 22 games in 94-95. And remember that was a lockout short and year, two goals, nine points. One of his best moments is in Islander though, April 7, 1995 at Madison Square Garden, Islanders taking on the Rangers and after the Rangers went up two to nothing on goals by Alex Kovalov and Pat Verbeek, Bob Beers potted a power play goal with Matthew Schneider and Ray Ferraro getting the assist to make it two to one. Islanders, that started a comeback and the Islanders won the game four to three Tommy Sogerstrom 31 saves for the win, but for Bob Beers, he was a plus, excuse me, he had a goal on his only shot and it came on the power play beating Mike Richter and giving the Islanders a four to three win at Madison Square Garden. So again, happy birthday to Bob Beers, only briefly at Islander but had some pretty good games in the process. Bob Beers is our Islanders birthday of the day. Hard to believe this week is coming to a close. I want to thank everyone for making locked on Islanders. Your first listen every day, every day is on Monday. We continue our player by player look at the New York Islanders. Simon Holstrom is our focus on Monday and maybe just maybe we'll find out when we're going to hear from Lou and Lane and we'll talk about that plus a whole lot more. So join us on Monday for that. Until then, have a great day everybody. Stay safe and of course, let's go Islanders. The ping pong balls have spoken. The San Antonio Spurs have won the NBA draft lottery and have the right to select Victor when Binyama first overall in the 2023 NBA draft. I can't believe it happened. The Las Vegas Golden Knights are one series away from the team's first Stanley Cup finals appearance sentence inaugural season. It is the Western Conference Finals and we are here for it. And the Denver Nuggets remain unbeaten at home in the NBA playoffs to take a 2-0 series lead with them to Los Angeles. That's the thing about your mom and that guy is a winner. For more on all of these stories, check out the newest episodes of Locked on Spurs, Locked on Golden Knights and the Locked on Nuggets. Then check out Locked on's new series, Paving the Way. Each episode will highlight a different voice from across the network. A Locked on Host whose journey in the industry has helped to pave the way toward creating a more inclusive and diverse media landscape. That's Paving the Way presented by State Farm, available on the Locked on Presents podcast for you. A Prime Member You can listen to this Locked on Podcast and free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Hello Knicks fans, I'm Gavin Shaw, host of your daily New York Knicks Podcast Locked on Knicks, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked on Knicks brings you the latest Knicks news and analysis and breaks down all of the action. Locked on Knicks is everything a Knicks fan could want all in one 30 minute daily podcast. So subscribe now to Locked on Knicks wherever you get your podcast. Search Locked on Knicks and get your daily New York Knicks Podcast. Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.