NY Islanders prospect Danny Nelson won't play at World Junior Summer Showcase

We're in the midst of the dog days of summer, but when it comes to junior hockey, the sights are always set on the holiday season and the World Junior Championship.

Each summer, USA Hockey hosts the World Junior Summer Showcase, involving Team USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. With games kicking off today, Chris Peters of FloHockey is reporting that despite being at camp, NY Islanders 2023 second-round pick, Danny Nelson, won't be playing in any games.

This isn't due to any sort of injury or anything negative surrounding Nelson, but more likely that he was a member of the 2024 team that took home gold, meaning that USA Hockey already knows the type of player he is and doesn't need to look any further. NY Rangers 2023 third-round pick, Drew Fortescue, is in the same boat, and it looks likely that both will be part of the 2025 team, hoping to defend their title.

Nelson isn't the only Islanders prospect hitting the ice this week at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth Michigan, as he'll be joined by 2023 6th-round pick Zach Schulz and 2024 first-round pick Cole Eiserman.

Nelson played mostly fourth-line minutes at last year's edition, centering fellow Islands prospect Quinn Finley. Nelson finished the tournament scoring one goal and adding an assist in seven games.

Putting together a freshman campaign at the University of Notre Dame, Nelson found the back of the net nine times, adding 14 assists for 23 points in 30 games. Despite missing six games due to the World Juniors, he finished third in scoring for the Fighting Irish.

Slated to return to South Bend, Indiana for his sophomore season in the NCAA, Nelson will take on a bigger role as he hopes to lead the Irish to a Big 10 title and return to the NCAA tournament.