NY Islanders reportedly sign Jesse Nurmi to entry-level contract

With the news that we'll all be losing access to CapFriendly at the start of July, the new sheriff in town, Puckpedia, has been hard at work. The site reported that the NY Islanders signed 2023 4th-round pick, Jesse Nurmi, to an entry-level contract on Monday.

Nurmi, a 6'0 172 lbs winger out of Finland, spent last season with KooKoo of Liiga, appearing in just 19 games, missing four months due to injury. Before his injury, Nurmi registered two assists with KooKoo but added eight points after returning while playing with the U-20 team.

While Nurmi was taken in the fourth round, he still projects as a future NHL player. Last year's draft was incredibly deep, and a player of Nurmi's stature would likely be selected earlier than most other years. He has decent size and plays a full-throttle every time he touches the ice. He may not have a top-6 role in his future, but his energy level would make him a great fit on the third line.

"Nurmi's game is all about the hustle and the energy," says the 2023 Elite Prospects Draft Guide. "He brings it on the forecheck. He gets on opponents and makes them lose the puck and he consistently drives the middle in possession. Has good off-puck instincts, mostly when he is driving the weak side to the net, spacing and timing so that he could become a cross-ice passing option at the right time."

Nurmi is represented by Gold Star Sports Management - the same agency working for Ilya Sorokin, Alexander Romanov, and Ruslan Iskhakov. Gold Star CEO, Dan Millstein, is known as one of hockey's super agents, working for some of the league's top international players, and has a long-standing relationship with Lou Lamoriello.

Nurmi should be present at rookie camp this September but will likely be loaned back to KooKoo for the 2024-25 season. He's still only 19 and coming off a major injury. There's no rush to get him over to North america just yet.