Islanders William Dufour will enter 2022 with huge momentum

Hey, another William Dufour post! But not only was the New York Islanders prospect named the first star in the Sea Dogs Memorial Cup win but he was also named the MVP of the entire tournament.

Signed to his three-year NHL ELC just a few months ago, his next step is going pro. That doesn't mean jumping to the NHL, but rather the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders.

New York Islanders William Dufour will enter 2022 with huge momentum

And as he readies himself to make that jump to the pro league with the AHL Islanders, William Dufour will be going into the 2022-23 season with a ton of forward momentum thanks to a wildly impressive 2021-22 season.

Here's what he accomplished this season:
-Most goals in the QMJHL (56)
-Most goals in the CHL (56)
-Most points in the QMJHL (116)
-Third in points in the CHL (116)
-QMJHL MVP
-Memorial Cup Champion
-Memorial Cup MVP (7G-1A)

That's a long list of achievements for Dufour this year.

Remember this is a player that was taken in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. The expectation on a fifth-rounder isn't high. Could they become pros? Sure, but again, the expectations are low for these guys.

Has Dufour already exceeded expectations? No. Of course, you don't expect late-round picks to do what Dufour did. But there's still more for Dufour to do before he exceeds expectations. What has changed for him now is that he's put himself in a real position to do so as he jumps to the pros.

If Dufour comes in with a monster first year in the pros and the lethal shot he has takes over those expectations will change. The destination might be the NHL for him in that event. As things stand right now, the NHL is still a distant possibility for him.