Former Juniors MVP and NY Islanders prospect heads to Russia as NHL hopes fade

Once considered a promising piece of the New York Islanders' future, former QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) MVP William Dufour is taking his game overseas. The 23-year-old winger has signed with Russian club Lada Togliatti for the 2025-26 season, following a disappointing two-year stretch that saw his once-rising stock stall out.

Dufour was non-tendered by the Colorado Avalanche, just months after being included in the blockbuster trade that sent Brock Nelson to Denver. The 6’3”, 212-pound winger had been acquired in hopes of a fresh start but managed just four points in 12 games with AHL Colorado after producing only 18 points in 45 games with Bridgeport.

It’s a far cry from his breakout 2021-22 campaign with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, where he led the league in goals (56), posted 116 points in 66 games, and lifted the Memorial Cup as tournament host. That same year, he was a key contributor to Canada’s gold medal-winning World Junior squad. The future looked bright for Dufour, even as an overager, as he turned pro.

He followed that success with a strong AHL rookie year in 2022-23, scoring 21 goals and 48 points. But he never found his way back to the NHL after his lone appearance in January 2023. Dufour’s decision to play in the KHL may seem premature, but it offers a potential reboot. At just 23, he has time to regain form, log big minutes, and re-enter the NHL radar—albeit from a distance. For now, what was once a late-round success story enters a critical crossroads overseas.

At one point, the 2020 5th round pick was a bright spot in a very shallow Islanders prospect pool, now Dufour will try to reset his professional career in hopes of getting another crack and making back to the NHL and not his one game on Long Island be his lone NHL experience.