NY Islanders Set to Sign Draft Pick Alex Jefferies to Entry level Contract

The NY Islanders prospect pool is on its way to becoming a bit stronger as Mike McMahon of College Hockey News reports that Merrimack College standout Alex Jefferies will sign an ELC with the Islanders for the 2024-25 season.

Jefferies was a fourth-round pick of the Islanders in 2020 and has been a top performer at Merrick College over his four seasons with the Warriors. Beginning his collegiate career in 2020, Jefferies scored 97 points (41 G, 56 A) over 105 games, good enough for 27th on the school's all-time scoring list.

A 6'0" 195 lb winger, Jefferies had 13 goals during his senior campaign after missing the first half of the season due to an injury - just one shy of his career-best of 14 set the season before. Over the last two seasons, he finished 27th and 35th among all NCAA players in points per game.

Jefferies uses speed in his game to get the opponents off balance, where he then utilizes his vision to decipher his next action. He's better known as a puck distributor but is capable of finding the back of the net, as evidenced by his five multi-goal games over his career.

At 22 years old, Jefferies won't be the prototypical AHL rookie, but McMahon says the Framingham, MA native "is the most NHL-ready player I've covered in 17 years of covering Merrimack. Jefferies has size, skill, great skater, and he's strong."

With Marrimack's season over, Jefferies will join the Bridgeport Islanders on an amateur tryout (ATO) before beginning his ELC the following season. An ATO is typically given to players out of college who are joining an AHL team following their collegiate season. The Islanders have until August 15th to officially put pen to paper.

He may not be the high draft pick the Islanders prospect pool is missing, but he adds to a strong group of mid-round picks, joining the likes of William Dufour and Matthew Maggio.