Islanders prospects report: Focus on last five draft classes

2020

Alexander Ljungkrantz (Brynas | 18yo)
Season stats:
J20 – 16GP, 8G, 7A, 15pts
SHL – 13GP, 0pts, 1:55ATOI
Hockeyettan – 9GP, 6G, 3A, 9pts

I know that Ljungkrantz had a decent camp with Sweden. I haven’t yet received a final grade on his camp, but I know the Islanders prospect is happy with his camp. Which is always a good sign.

If you haven’t read it yet, here’s my chat with Team Sweden coach Tomas Monten about Ljungkrantz’s chance to make Sweden’s World Junior Championship squad in 2022.

Alex Jefferies (Merrimack College | 19yo)
Season stats: 11GP, 4G, 6A, 10pts
Fourth-round pick (121 OVR)

So far so good for the freshman with ten points in his first eleven games at the college level. Unfortunately, he’s out for an extended period of time due to an injury.

William Dufour (Voltigeurs | 19yo)
Season stats: 18GP, 14G, 10A, 24pts
Fifth-round pick (152 OVR)

Dufour is on pace for a 90 point season (over a full 68-game QMJHL schedule). To put that in perspective, in Beauvillier’s draft year he put up 94 points in 67 games. Beau was a 28th overall pick while Dufour was taken 152 overall.

It’s too early to say he will be a gem. But so far the signs look promising.

Matias Rajaniemi (Pelicans | 18yo)
Sesaon stats: 24GP, 1G, 5A, 6pts, 14:20ATOI
Sixth-round pick (183 OVR)

His ice time has fallen a bit of late, as has that production. After winning a Bronze at the WJC he had four points in five games. But he hasn’t scored since. At 18, he’s still got room to improve his offensive game.

Henrik Tikkanen (IPK | 20yo)
Season stats:
Liiga – 2GP, 2.04GAA, 0.917SV%
Mestis – 11GP, 3.26GAA, 0.878SV%
Seventh-round pick (214 OVR)

With the return of the Mestis league, Tikkanen returned to IPK. His loan stint with Kalpa wasn’t long but it was a good one. It wouldn’t surprise me that the Islanders don’t bring him to North America next year.