The Islanders Youth Movement

NYI Top 10 Under 25

1.  Noah Dobson (23) – rated #34 on Dobber’s top 300 list

Dobson has quickly established himself as one of the top defencemen in the NHL.  With 64 points in 62 games, he is tied for 3^rd in points for all defencemen and one of only 5 defencemen who are averaging a point per game (with one of the others being another TUFHL Islander – Shea Theodore).  Dobson is logging minutes in all situations for the NHL Islanders and currently averages over 25 minutes time-on-ice per game (one of only 7 NHLers to hit the 25 minute mark) while maintaining a +21 rating.  GM Thornton stated that “Dobson is that 1A defenceman that every team is looking for and we are excited that he will anchor our d-core for a long time to come.”

2.  Lucas Raymond (21) – rated #53 on Dobber’s top 300 list

Since being drafted 4^th overall, making the Red Wings as an 18-year-old and enjoying a stellar rookie season, Raymond experienced a little bit of a sophomore slump before taking another step forward this season.  On pace to produce 66 points as a 21-year-old, it will not be long before he is a routine point per game producer in the NHL on a rapidly improving Red Wing team.  GM Thornton is also excited by the future when he stated, “Raymond is a top talent and still has top line winger written all over him.  He may only have 25 points thus far this year and is struggling to find his stride in TUFHL, the future remains extremely bright.”

3.  Wyatt Johnston (20) – rated #86 on Dobber’s top 300 list

The TUFHL Islanders targeted Johnston as their 1^st round target in 2021 and were happy to get their guy.  Johnston then played so well in his first training camp that he stuck with the Stars, and put up 0.5 points per game as a rookie.  He has again taken a step forward this year averaging 0.73 points per game and is firmly entrenched as one of the game’s rising stars.  GM Thornton stated, “Johnston will likely be our top line centre as early as next year.  He is that good.”

4.  Logan Stankoven (21) – rated #175 on Dobber’s top 300 list

The little guy consistently produces at any level and is a natural born leader.  Former Captain of the Kamloops Blazers and the Team Canada World Junior team, he has proven his adjustment to the pro-game, even at 5’8’’ was not going to be difficult.  57 points in his first 47 AHL games and then 8 points, including 5 goals, in his first 7 NHL games, he is making it very hard for the Dallas Stars management to send him back to the AHL.  GM Thornton first scouted Stankoven as a U15 AAA player at the John Reid Memorial Tournament when he led Yale Academy to the title.  He followed his career in the WHL and took him well above his #47 overall NHL draft position in our TUFHL draft.  Thornton stated, “He was our #1 guy then and still is now.  He has a relentless motor and we are excited about his potential.”

5.  Josh Norris (24) – rated #147 on Dobber’s top 300 list

The good news is that Norris has already scored 70 goals in 183 NHL games and has shown to be a natural finisher.  The bad news is that he cannot seem to stay healthy and is currently facing the possibility of a third shoulder surgery and missing another large chunk of a season. Being a Sens fan in real life, GM Thornton is committed to the long game with Norris and remains hopeful that he heals from this injury, can stay healthy and that the Sens can finally live up to their potential. 

6.  Gabriel Perreault (18) – rated #60 on Dobber’s top 200 prospect forward list

The son of Yanic Perreault was who GM Thornton and the TUFHL Islanders hoped would fall to them in the last TUFHL draft.  Perreault is a wizard with the puck, drives the play when he is on the ice and an absolute threat on the power play.  After putting up 132 points in 63 games with the US National U18 Development Team and breaking records in the process, he has not slowed down as a freshman at Boston College where he has put up 50 points in 30 games to lead the nation in points per game.  GM Thornton stated, “We absolutely support Perreault staying in school as long as he wants, but, at the same time, we cannot wait for him to pull on the blue, orange and white Islander jersey.”

7.  Isaac Howard (19) – rated #90 on Dobber’s top 200 prospect forward list

Howard has taken a step forward this NCAA season after transferring to Michigan State University from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is averaging essentially a point per game.  After starring for Shattuck St Mary’s and then putting up 82 points in 60 games with the US National U18 Development Team, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning.  GM Thornton was happy to grab Howard stating, “Tampa has done such a great job with their draft picks so anyone that Tampa rates highly, we will give them a little bump as well, especially when he displayed that draft day swagger with the white suit.  We targeted him in his draft and were happy to grab him.”

8.  Lukas Cormier (21) – rated #18 on Dobber’s top 50 prospect defenceman list

Cormier was a force in the QMJHL for Charlottetown putting up well over a point-per-game average in his final two seasons.  He has transitioned to the AHL well and has put up 53 points in his first 110 games, almost a half point per game average.  This year, he is the team’s leading point getter as a 21-year-old defenceman and this earned him a very quick call-up to the Vegas squad where he garnered an assist in two games played.  GM Thornton stated, “With Theodore and Dobson anchoring the top pairing, we think Cormier will eventually slot firmly into a top 4 role for us.”

9.  Jesperi Kotkaniemi (23) - #236 on Dobber’s top 300 list

Playing for a stacked Carolina team, Kotkaniemi occupies a spot on the 3^rd line which limits his scoring.  Currently sitting at 22 points in 63 games, he is slightly below the pace he displayed for the past two years.  More impressively, he is not yet 24 but this is already his 6^th full NHL season.  GM Thornton feels that, “Kotkaniemi will take a spot on the 2^nd line of the TUFHL Islanders and hopefully he can continue to build off his 46 points already this year like he has the past two seasons.”

10.  Sean Farrell (22) - rated #82 on Dobber’s top 200 prospect forward list

Farrell has just produced statistically wherever he has played and the likely only thing that pushed him to be a 4^th round pick was his size at 5’9’’ and 175 pounds.  His second season at Harvard saw him put up 53 points in 34 games and paved the way to a quick 6 game stint with the Habs at the end of the 22 – 23 season where he scored his first NHL goal.  His first full AHL season has seen him put up 22 points in 32 games until an upper body injury sidelined him for January and February.  GM Thornton stated, “It is only a matter of time for Sean to get a chance with the rebuilding parent club and we hope he can stick and show his full potential.”

Honorable mentions to Lucas Edmonds and Filip Chytil as both have unfortunately battled injuries this season and how they come back from that is still to be seen…

This youth movement, along with core pieces Valeri Nichushkin, Shea Theodore and Ilya Sorokin being signed long term (their UFA contracts all end in different years) will hopefully lead to a solid foundation of success for the TUFHL New York Islanders.