Islanders: Michael Dal Colle Did Not Receive Qualifying Offer

Today we found it which RFA’s received a qualifying offer from the New York Islanders. To no surprise, Anthony Beauvillier, Kieffer Bellows, Anatoly Golyshev, Otto Koivula, Adam Pelech, and Ilya Sorokin all received qualifying offers.

What we did find out though, according to Andrew Gross, was that former fifth overall pick, Michael Dal Colle did not receive a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.

Back in 2014, the Islanders selected both Michael Dal Colle (5th overall) and Josh Ho-Sang (28th overall) in the first round and at the age of 25, they will both be off the Islanders roster as UFA’s.

JHS is a whole other story but for MDC it was a whiff for a top-five pick. In 111 games over four seasons, Dal Colle put up just 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) a .19 point per game pace. His most productive year came in 2019-2020 when he played in 53 games putting up 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists).

He never developed into the top-six player the Islanders were hoping to get when he was selected back in 2014. Instead, he was about as flat-lined as you could be. He didn’t give the Isles much offense on the third line but he wasn’t a liability out there either.

At his size (six-foot-three and 200 lbs) a bottom-six role is still in the cards for his NHL career, it just won’t be with the New York Islanders who already have a bunch of players who can fill that role, and frankly do it better.

Sometimes these things happen, players don’t pan out and the Islanders gave him more than enough time. It’s been seven years since he was drafted, and at this point, Lou Lamoriello feels he can get better value with someone else.

Here’s what a scout from The Hockey Writers had to say about MDC back before the 2014 draft:

"Overall, Michael Dal Colle is going to be a very good player for years to come in the NHL. The size is there; the skill is there; the potential is there. All he has to do is play to his strengths and he will reek havoc in the league on the scoresheet. Down the road, it wouldn’t shock me if he turns out to be the best forward taken in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft."

Unfortunately, Dal Colle will be remembered as just another Garth Snow miss in the draft.