31 Teams in 31 Days - New York Islanders

The Islanders have a few OHL prospects that we can discuss. Interestingly enough all are from the same team...the Saginaw Spirit.

1. Bode Wilde - Saginaw Spirit
What an impressive prospect Wilde is. He not only met my expectations this year, he exceeded them. Wilde is such a powerful skater and competent puck handler. He skates just as well with the puck as he does without it. There were numerous times this year where Wilde picked up the puck in his own end, exploded up ice, and ended up creating an odd man rush for the Spirit. Once he gets that head of steam through the neutral zone, he is so difficult to stop. Wilde also has a really good shot. Both his slap shot and his wrist shot have a lot of power behind them and he does a great job of using his explosiveness to find gaps in coverage. This is especially true in transition as he jumps up in the play as a trailer. There is a lot of Brent Burns in his game from an offensive stand point. Defensively, he was better than I expected him to be. Turnovers were not nearly as much of an issue as one would have been led to believe after his fall in the draft. He does a good job of protecting the puck in his own end and is such an asset in starting the breakout. And he is a relatively composed defender who uses his length to push attackers to the perimeter. Of course, his speed helps him to recover positioning when needed too. One thing that I did notice on multiple occasions is that Wilde can have difficulty with his footwork when handling dump ins. He needs to take better routes to the puck and work on his transition from backwards to forwards stride in order to prevent forwards from getting behind him. This is true, at times, when defending off the rush as forwards can get the drop on him as he stops moving his feet. But with his natural athletic ability, I would imagine that these issues will be corrected moving forward. The million dollar question is...where does Wilde play next year? Drafted out of the USDP, he is eligible for the AHL next year and that's actually where I expect him to play (even if that sucks for Spirit fans). In the AHL, I would expect him to be an impact player and be up around the 40 point mark. If he returns to the OHL, he becomes the favourite for OHL Defender of the Year (Max Kaminsky).

2. Blade Jenkins - Saginaw Spirit
Jenkins is definitely an interesting prospect. Saginaw used him as a center at times this year, especially later in the season and into the playoffs, and I don't think he looked out of place there. Which begs the question, is Jenkins a winger or a center long term? I liked his ability to control the pace of play when he lines up down the middle. His skating ability has improved to the point where he can be a factor off the rush, but also possesses the ability to play the wall, down low and can extend possession with his strength on the puck. That said, there are still some limitations in his game preventing him from being a more consistent contributor. His shot is still a weakness. In particular, his release needs work. In traffic, he has a tendency to struggle getting shots off, despite his size advantage. And in transition, his vision with the puck still needs work as he's more of a North/South attacker who can be predictable in his efforts. I would imagine that Jenkins stays down the middle next year for Saginaw and will have the opportunity to earn top line minutes and powerplay time. I would be shocked if he was not a point per game player for the first time. His development next year is something that I am very curious about.

3. Cole Coskey - Saginaw Spirit
The third Spirit prospect added to the Islanders stable, it's obvious that the Islanders like what the program in Saginaw brings. Coskey is a pesky player. He is active on the forecheck and is a very competent penalty killer and three zone player. He is especially effective along the wall where he is difficult to separate from the puck while working the cycle. He is also great at separating defenders from the puck and forcing turnovers that can lead to scoring chances for the Spirit. He skates well and can make skilled plays in transition. Coskey is definitely at his best when he keeps things simple. He can be turnover prone from trying to force drives to the net and will attempt to beat defenders one on one, only to be stripped of the puck. When he focuses most of his energy on being a complimentary piece on a scoring line, he is very effective. What the Islanders' plans are for him next year remains to be seen. With 14 players under NHL or AHL contract (for Bridgeport next year), it seems likely that Coskey will be sent back for his overage season. That way he can be a part of a potentially solid team and improve further as an offensive playmaker. As an OA, I could see him being a 40/40 player.