31 Teams in 31 Days - New York Islanders

Three Saginaw Spirit players for the Islanders.

1. Bode Wilde - Saginaw Spirit
Small sample size, so it's hard to really dissect Wilde's progression as a player this year after playing three quarters of the season at the AHL level. When returned to Saginaw, we pretty much saw the same Wilde that we did last year with the Spirit; a defender who can take fans out of their seats with his end to end rushes and his dynamic skill set. At 6'3, he just explodes up the ice and through the neutral zone and if forecheckers can't hem in the defensive zone, he usually manages to find a lane to push across center ice. Wilde also has a terrific point shot and scoring instincts from the back end. This makes him a dangerous powerplay QB. Wilde will also use his size to engage and win battles for the puck down low, winning the vast majority of his challenges. However, there are still some warts to his game and those warts were the reason he was sent back to the OHL (at least from talking to those who saw him at the AHL level). Wilde remains a high risk offensive defender who sometimes has a tendency to force plays and this can lead to turnovers. His decision making with the puck still leaves some to be desired. Additionally, I believe Wilde will still need to grow as a defender in zone coverage and his positioning when defending off the rush. He just doesn't do a good enough job of anticipating passes or getting his stick in those passing/shooting lanes. This is evidenced by the fact that his takeaway numbers per game (according to InStat Hockey) were among the lowest of any NHL drafted defender in the OHL. Again, small sample size but it's not necessarily surprising if you watch Wilde play. All that said, his potential is still alluring because of his frame, physical skills, and play creation ability. He's going to need time at the AHL level. It's not a sprint, but a marathon. Hopefully, with a taste of AHL action this year, Wilde comes into camp next year with a better understanding of what he'll need to do to be successful. Additionally, the Islanders have some AHL level FA's on the back-end that may not be resigned, which could give Wilde more opportunity to play a larger role. He needs to be getting powerplay time there to develop properly.

2. Cole Coskey - Saginaw Spirit
Coskey had a good overage year with the Spirit, continuing to round out his game and improve his production. He saw a lot of time alongside Cole Perfetti and Ryan Suzuki and understood how he needed to play in order to mesh with those two highly skilled playmakers. He bangs. He crashes. He can control the wall. He can find those soft spots in traffic. He is actually underrated as a puck carrier and does a good job of pushing the pace and gaining entry to the offensive zone. The million dollar question is...what is Coskey as the next level? There are always bound to be projection issues for players like him who do a lot of things well, but nothing at an elite level. As such, the Islanders made a great choice to have Bridgeport sign Coskey to an ATO for a year before committing to an ELC (they have until June 2, 2021 to sign him). This way, they can see how Coskey can adapt his game to playing a variety of different roles at the pro level. If he wants to be an NHL player, Coskey will likely need to increase his physical intensity level and continue to improve his ability to play in all three zones. That way he can continue to operate as a space creator with more skilled linemates and help to provide versatility to the coaching staff.

3. Blade Jenkins - Saginaw Spirit
If I'm being truthful, I was surprised that the Islanders signed Jenkins. There are certainly some good components to his game and skill set. He has good size and has improved his skating (especially his quickness) over his OHL career. He possesses positional versatility, showing an ability to play center or the wing. He is a strong complimentary piece on a scoring line (seeing time on the wing alongside both Ryan Suzuki and Damien Giroux this year, when he wasn't centering the third line), who can drive the net and win those battles down low to gain or maintain possession. However, I don't really believe he made significant gains in the skills department, and this is one of the reasons why he failed to improve upon his offensive production from a year ago and was not a point per game player. Given that, what kind of role will he be successful at, at the pro level? I'm not sure that he profiles as a strong bottom six player given that his play away from the puck and skating ability would be best classified as average. And offensively, I don't think he has the finishing ability or puck skill to play with elite level playmakers at the next level. That means that he's going to have to really improve a lot of areas, or a few specific ones, to tailor himself to a role. Certainly not impossible, but I'd give Coskey better odds at doing that.