The New York Islanders’ annual prospect camp will begin this week, with rosters being revealed in the upcoming hours.
The New York Islanders will be holding their annual prospect camp from Monday to Saturday, commencing what will likely become a pivotal season in the franchise’s history.
In a string of tweets, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports that the prospects will begin their off-ice training on Monday. From Tuesday on, this training will shift to the ice, where recent draft picks and budding rookies will show the team’s coaching staff what they’ve got.
Included on this list are Joshua Ho-Sang, Anthony Beauvillier and Mathew Barzal, three youngsters who spent parts of the 2016-17 season in the NHL. Among those joining them are Linus Söderstrom and Kieffer Bellows, two of the team’s biggest prospects.
Prospect camp will be featuring the Blue and White Scrimmage, which pits prospects and locals alike against each other in front of the hometown crowd. On Thursday, the festivities, which are open to the public, will entail a split-squad scrimmage, prospect autographs and a skills competition.
#Isles Mini Camp getting started with some off ice training. ? pic.twitter.com/kcCMBa3fs5
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 26, 2017
One of the players looking to stand out is Michael Dal Colle, a former first-round pick from 2014. Once the crème de la crème of the organization, Dal Colle has plummeted the prospect ranks, even as he’s progressed from the OHL to the AHL.
At 21 years old, Dal Colle still has plenty of time to turn things around. But the team’s first round picks in 2014 and 2015 have all already played in the big leagues, and Dal Colle has been speculated to be on the trade block. It’ll take a strong showing to quell fears of his unraveling.
Meanwhile, scouts will be searching for the unheralded star. Over the years, unknown locals have emerged as formidable prospects, prompting them to receive minor-league contracts. The most notable example is John Schiavo from Patchogue, NY, who delighted fans with a brilliant shootout goal and was then rewarded with an offer from the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL (formerly an Islanders affiliate).
Camp will culminate on Saturday, with a scrimmage that is closed to the public. Rosters will likely be announced later.
This story will be updated.