The good, the bad, and the ugly of the New York Islanders’ 2015 draft class.
By Justin Weiss
Despite entering the draft without a first-round pick, Isles GM Garth Snow made something out of nothing; shipping top prospect Griffin Reinhart to the Edmonton Oilers for what culminated into a tandem of highly-touted selections.
Snow also picked one of Reinhart’s former teammates, the first Chinese-born player in league history, and the cousin of a former Isles blueliner in the 2015 Draft.
Here’s how the players fared in 2015-16.
Name: Mathew Barzal
Age: 18
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6-0/175
Position: C
Drafted: 1st round (16th overall), 2015
Probability of success: A-
Prospect talent score: A
Scouting Report
From my prospect series on Blue and Orange Pride:
New York traded one of their most valuable assets — Defenseman Griffin Reinhart — for the sixteenth pick in the Draft, which would turn out to be the 18-year-old center. “We wouldn’t have made the move if [Barzal] wasn’t there,” Snow said. Lauded for his vision, breakaway speed, work ethic, soft hands and passing ability, the 5-10/182 center (a bit undersized, by NHL standards) was at one point, the second-biggest name in the 2015 NHL Draft class. Twenty six goals and eighty five assists in two seasons, and the rookie is one of the top scorers in the organization’s system.
2015-16 Season Stats
Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL): 58 GP, 27 G, 61 A (88 PTS), 22 +/-, 58 PIM
How Barzal Fared
Barzal solidified his status as a top prospect with a tremendous season that entailed his Western League team advancing to their league championships. “He thinks the game at a faster speed than everyone else,” Scott Eansor said of his teammate, in an interview with My North West. “He works so hard technically in practice that it helps in games. He’s focusing on the little details in practice and making sure they’re perfect and sharp, that way he can bring it into games.”
Name: Anthony Beauvillier
Age: 18
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 5-10/173
Position: LW
Drafted: 1st round (28th overall), 2015
Probability of success: B
Prospect talent score: A-
Scouting Report
From my prospect series on Blue and Orange Pride:
Drafted by GM Garth Snow during Friday night’s NHL Draft, Beauvillier boasts an above-average skating ability, superb quickness and a shoot-first mentality that bodes well with his leadership, tenacity and competitiveness. At just 5-10/170 pounds, he needs to add strength and muscle, and his numbers in the over-inflated QMJHL may be just that, but it appears as if the versatile forward can make a push in a few years for a spot on this club.
2015-16 Season Stats
Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL): 47 GP, 40 G, 39 A (79 PTS), 21 +/-, 57 PIM
How Beauvillier Fared
Beauvillier had a torrid start to the 2015-16 season, and according to North Dakota Red Eagle of Lighthouse Hockey, “Beauvillier’s EV goals pace rose very significantly, from 0.33 to 0.49, compared to his 2014-15 season.”
“He’s got tremendous hockey sense, he’s got good intelligence of the game and a lot of skill to go along with it,” Isles head coach Jack Capuano told the official team site. “When you add that together and add that with grit and determination that’s a great combination to have.”
“He’s got a bright future in this league.”
Name: Mitchell Vande Sompel
Age: 19
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 5-10/182
Position: D
Drafted: 3rd round (82nd overall), 2015
Probability of success: C+
Prospect talent score: C+
Scouting Report
From my prospect series on Blue and Orange Pride:
An excellent skater with outstanding speed and superb acceleration, Vande Sompel was an absolute steal so late in the 2015 NHL Draft. While undersized at just 5-10, 180 pounds, he is a pure puck mover with excellent vision, a good hockey IQ, good stickhandling ability and impressive poise. One of the more impressive passers in his draft class, he also possesses good balance. Knocked for his lack of upper-body strength and strange release point, Vande Sompel still appears to be a low-risk, high-reward skater.
2015-16 Season Stats
Oshawa Generals (OHL): 46 GP, 10 G, 28 A (38 PTS), -15 +/-, 36 PIM
How Vande Sompel Fared
Vande Sompel fell off the map a little in 2015-16, after the defenseman struggled in his own zone. Had tremendous wheels, though, as evidenced by this honor endowed upon him by the league’s coaches.
Name: Parker Wotherspoon
Age: 18
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6-0/171
Position: D
Drafted: 4th round (112th overall), 2015
Probability of success: B-
Prospect talent score: C+
Scouting Report
From my prospect series on Blue and Orange Pride:
If Parker Wotherspoon entered the league at this moment, he’d be one of the smoother skaters in the league. An absolutely excellent skater, he has outstanding speed, superb acceleration and good balance. Always composed, he has outstanding edgework, good agility and pivots and a long, fluid stride. Solid vision and great awareness help his case, but he lacks the lower-body stength and bulk to instantly succeed.
2015-16 Season Stats
Tri-City Americans (WHL): 71 GP, 11 G, 45 A (56 PTS), -16 +/-, 78 PIM
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL): 6 GP, 0 G, 1 A (1 PTS), -3 +/-, 15 PIM
How Wotherspoon Fared
Wotherspoon got a taste of the Big Apple when he was called up to the American Hockey League in March. “After our season was over, we had exit interviews,” Wotherspoon said, via Tri-City Herald. “They brought a few of us in and told we were being called up. It’s nice to see the pro game and how they go about their business.”
He was considered his WHL team’s best offensive and defensive defenseman.
Ryan Pilon, 19:
The cousin of former Isles defenseman Rich Pilon, Ryan “lost [his] passion to play,” and left his Juniors team for personal reasons. “Ryan came to me this week and told me that at this time he has lost his passion to play hockey and will be leaving the team,” Brandon coach and GM Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement.
“We had a number of discussions, but his final decision was that this was what he felt he needed to do,” he added.
Andong Song, 19:
The first Chinese-born player to ever be drafted in the history of the league, Song is inspiring a growing interest in the sport in the region. There’s not much information on his status, though.