NHL Draft 2014: New York Islanders draft grade
With the fifth overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected Michael Dal Colle out of Oshawa of the OHL.
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Dal Colle was the seventh ranked player on the FanSided top available prospects list, and is expected to spend the next couple years, at least, in juniors with Oshawa. However, that’s the plan as of now.
I feel that Dal Colle has the skill level to become a day one roster player in his rookie season for the Islanders. He should be given every chance by head coach Jack Capuano to prove that he can play at the NHL level this season, and I expect him to be given a shot to play alongside John Tavares.
“Drafting a player of Michael’s caliber is another building block in what is an important offseason for the organization,” Islanders GM Garth Snow said in a press release. “We’re excited to see him develop into another key piece of our core. Michael has top-end offensive skill, paired with two-way instincts and hockey sense, which are assets we are thrilled to add to the Islanders.”
If he isn’t selected for the final roster this season, Dal Colle has a personality that will push him to improve on whatever he needs to get better at in order to crack the lineup in 2015.
The Islanders weren’t done yet as the traded back into the first round to Josh Ho-Sang, one of the most enigmatic players in the draft, with the 28th overall pick. Ho-Sant has all the talent in the world to be a really good player, but he doesn’t like to trust his teammates, which could lead to him failing to live up to the potential.
Still, I love what the Islanders didn’t on Friday night.
Final Grade: A+
Sound off Islanders fans! What do you think of New York’s selections? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.