Islanders sign exciting fifth-round pick to ELC

On Thursday, the New York Islanders announced that they had agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract with prospect William Dufour. And the fanbase was excited.

The messages were poring in with excitement from the fan base. And it's easy to see why.

New York Islanders sign William Dufour to ELC

Over the season William Dufour has absolutely dominated the QMJHL. In 61 games played (to date), Dufour has 52 goals and 57 assists for a crazy 109 points. And while the Quebec junior league is a high-scoring league, Dufour is well ahead of the rest of the league.

His 52 goals rank him first in the QMJHL for goals. No one else has 50 yet. His 109 points also put him first in the QMJHLfor points. Only Joshua Roy has 100+ points in the league.

That production not only has him at the top of the QMJHL but he's now set the Saint John Sea Dogs franchise record for single-season goals and points. The record for both was previously 45 goals and 106 points.

And the year isn't over. Not only does Dufour have a handful of games left in the regular season, but Saint John will be playing in the QMJHL playoffs and in the Memorial Cup (Saint John is hosting the CHL tournament). Not only can Dufour add to his production totals but he can add some impressive hardware too.

You might think this is just a fifth-rounder putting up a bunch of production now that he's older. And there are some facts there. He is producing a lot. This is his fourth year in the QMJHL. But we have to remember a few things.

Dufour was a sixth overall pick at the QMHL draft. Indicating that scouts thought he'd be a good player at this level. It's also not just a random uptick in production for him. Of course, it's higher than we've seen before, but in 20-21, he scored 17 goals and 29 points in 23 games. A pace of 49 goals and 83 points over a 66-game season.

Expectations? Who knows. What we do know is that this fifth-round pick has done enough to earn himself an NHL contract. Now he has three-years to show he deserves another one.