Islanders: Michael Dal Colle Expectations For 2021

Heading into his third year in the league what can we expect from Michael Dal Colle? Will he get playing time with the Islanders?

Michael Dal Colle is entering his third year in the league after playing 53 games for the Islanders last year. In those 53 games, he gave the Islanders 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) playing an average of 11:48 per game.

For the past two regular seasons, Barry Trotz has seemed to show confidence in him in a bottom-six role. He’s very much a flat line player, he’s not going to make the costly error but he also isn’t going to move the needle forward at all.

Well, heading into 2021, the chances are beginning to wear thin. In the return to play, He played just three games and averaged 9:59 a night. I don’t know about you but that sounds like someone who is falling out of favor.

What can we expect from him in 2021?

2021 Expectations

This is it. This is Michael Dal Colle’s last chance to make an impact on this team. As we’ve documented numerous times, the only two forward spots up for grabs are the wings on the third line.

Leo Komarov, Michael Dal Colle, Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows, and Otto Koivula all seem to be candidates right now and that’s assuming that Derick Brassard isn’t brought back, which could absolutely happen still.

I’m being genuinely serious when I say that I would rather every one of those guys listed above, even Leo Komarov, on line three over MDC. Dal Colle played just 14:31 on the power play and a whopping 1:12 on the penalty kill.

He gives you 5v5 and that’s it. For someone who is “good defensively,” he isn’t good enough to help on the PK? At that point, I would argue that every one of those other players listed has more value to this team than Dal Colle.

With that being said, I think he will be a scratch/taxi squad player this season. I’ll say he gets in 10 games and gives the Islanders two points (1 goal, 1 assist).

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It’s really hard for me to see him getting into the lineup on a consistent basis this year. The playoffs last year should be a pretty good indication of where he falls with the Isles right now, he’s a part-time player.