Islanders prospects daily: Tons of action from Finnish prospects

Here’s your daily recap of yesterday’s games, updates, and rankings for New York Islanders prospects and players within the system.

Welcome to your daily recap for New York Islanders prospects! You’ll find an update on stats from prospects in action yesterday, a round-up of who’s playing today, and I’ll tell you how some of those prospects in action yesterday are doing in my prospects rankings.

Prospect Update from Yesterday

• Henrik Tikkanen (KalPa)
  • Stats: 3GA, 0.857SV%
  • Season stats: 2-3-2, 1.94GAA, 0.921SV%
• Ruslan Iskhakov (TPS)
  • Stats: 1G (PP), 3SOG, 14:22TOI
  • Season stats: 9G, 25A, 34Pts, 15:31 ATOI
• Matias Rajaniemi (Pelicans)
  • Stats: 1SOG, 16:12TOI
  • Season stats: 3G, 6A, 9Pts, 15:36 ATOI

It wasn’t a great result for Tikkanen. Three goals against and a sub-900 save percentage has pushed his number a bit in a negative direction, but they still show a goalie who is doing well after being promoted to the top Finnish league.

Iskhakov picked up one point in a 5-1 win for his side over the Lahti Pelicans. That single point was a power-play goal for his team’s fifth goal on the night. The small forward was able to elude a defender in the slightly wider ice surface and pump in an easy goal.

He’s up to 34 points now, three spots off tenth for scoring in the league.

Rajaniemi’s side didn’t have a good showing, the scorecard really tells you everything you need to know. (They lost 5-1 just in case you forgot he plays for the Lahti Pelicans). They’re back in action today against one of the worst sides in the league

Prospects (and players in the system) in Action Today

• Reece Newkirk (Winterhawks)
• Matias Rajaniemi (Pelicans)
• Ruslan Iskhakov (TPS)

It’s the second game of the WHL season for Reece Newkirk. It would be an understatement to say he’s excited to be back on the ice. Like most hockey players, this year has been challenging. The WHL season was delayed significantly and even his loan to SJHL side Melville Millionaires was cut short (only. six games played) due to COVID shutdowns in his home province of Saskatchewan.

When I spoke to him last he told me the goal was to earn a contract from the Islanders this year, a strong year will certainly get him one (whether that’s at the AHL or NHL level).

After having his seven-game point streak end two games ago, Iskhakov has a chance to start a new one with a goal yesterday and a game today against Assat, who are 11th in the 14 team league.

There wasn’t any movement in rankings yesterday so I decided to skip that section today.

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