Islanders Reassign Victor Eklund To AHL
The Islanders have recalled top right-wing prospect Victor Eklund from his loan to Djurgårdens IF of the SHL, the Swedish club announced this morning. He was subsequently loaned to AHL Bridgeport, where he will finish this season before competing for an opening night roster spot in 2026-27. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was the first to relay the news yesterday.
Eklund, 19, was the second of three first-round draft choices the Isles made last summer, going 16th overall with the earlier of the two picks New York had acquired from the Canadiens in the Noah Dobson trade. It was a significant fall for someone who scouts unanimously labeled as a top-10 pick. Eklund was the second-ranked European skater in the class behind only Anton Frondell, according to NHL Central Scouting, while outlets like McKeen’s Hockey, Elite Prospects, and even TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts had him going in the #8-10 range overall.
The Islanders were happy to be the beneficiaries of the 5’11”, 170-lb righty slipping through the cracks. A workhorse, all-around forward, Eklund played a key role in helping Djurgården gain promotion from the second-tier Allsvenskan to the SHL last year, posting a team-leading 19 goals in 42 games while adding 12 assists for 31 points and a +16 rating.
Eklund’s production took an understandable hit this year as the strength of competition increased significantly, but not too much. He finished sixth on the team in regular-season scoring with a 6-18–24 line in 43 games, tied for second with a +8 rating, and added three assists in three playoff games as Djurgården dropped its best-of-three play-in series against the Malmö Redhawks to end their season.
The younger brother of Sharks winger William Eklund now looks to follow in his footsteps as he looks to quickly become a dependable top-nine piece on Long Island. He was ranked as the #4 name in the Islanders’ prospect pool last summer by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, who projects Eklund to top out as a complementary top-line piece, but the top two names on that list, Matthew Schaefer and Calum Ritchie, have now graduated to full-time NHL roles. There’s an argument to be made that while he doesn’t have the goal-scoring acumen of #3-ranked Cole Eiserman, his all-around game – plus Eiserman’s semi-underwhelming sophomore season at Boston University in 2025-26 – should make Eklund the Islanders’ top prospect at this point.
It’s worth noting that because Eklund already signed his entry-level contract last summer and he was on the Isles’ reserve list at the trade deadline, he will be eligible to play for them in both the regular season and playoffs if they make it there. For now, though, he’ll make the adjustment to North American ice in the minors.
Tony DeAngelo Leaves Due To Injury
Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin’s upper-body injury is unrelated to the previously nagging one which sidelined him in the winter, according to head coach Dan Muse, as shared by Josh Yohe, team beat writer.
Earlier today it became apparent that Malkin would be day-to-day, with forward Ville Koivunen recalled as a result. The 39-year-old is still fifth in team scoring despite playing just 50 games, coming in just above the point-per-game mark with 52.
A future Hall of Famer, there’s little doubt he will be an impact player until the end, but Malkin’s 2024-25 performance seemed indicative of decline. Instead, Malkin has turned back the clock this year under Muse as a huge part of the Pens’ resurgence. He will finish 2025-26 under last year’s 68 total games, but it’s by no means shocking for any player nearing 40.
Losing their star against the league’s top team in Colorado creates a tall task, but thankfully it doesn’t seem serious and Malkin could be back as soon as Thursday in Ottawa.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The New York Islanders announced mid-game that Tony DeAngelo won’t return due to a lower-body injury. The defenseman’s night came to an end after six shifts which totaled 6:09. DeAngelo has become a journeyman, but the 30-year-old still plays a key role for New York with power play time and top four minutes, all on an expiring contract worth just $1.75MM. The New Jersey native has 33 points in 71 games, not missing a single game for the Islanders to this point. He seemed to skate gingerly after hustling back in an attempt to catch a Blackhawks rush which led to a goal. If he has to miss an extended period, it would be a tough blow for the Islanders’ hopes to hold onto their Wild Card berth in a season which has surpassed expectations.
- Before tonight’s game in Pittsburgh, the Colorado Avalanche revealed that Nicolas Roy wouldn’t play due to an upper body injury. Additional details aren’t clear, but the forward played just 8:40 on Sunday against Washington, well below his normal usage as a third liner. In nine games with Colorado since being acquired from the Maple Leafs, Roy has three goals, after finding the back of the net just five times in 59 games prior. The 29-year-old could return as soon as Thursday in Winnipeg, his new club closing in on the Presidents’ Trophy as long as they can maintain their current pace.
Islanders Sign Josh Kotai To Two-Year Contract
The Islanders announced they’ve signed college free agent goaltender Josh Kotai to a two-year, entry-level contract. Terms were not disclosed, although the deal presumably begins next season. If he wants to play pro hockey this year, he’ll have to sign a tryout with the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Kotai, 23, turns pro after helping author one of the best stories in Division I hockey this year. The 23-year-old has been with Augustana University since its inception as a DI program in 2023, committing there after playing for the Battlefords North Stars of the junior ‘A’ league in Saskatchewan. He took over the starter’s crease as a sophomore last season and, this year as a junior, nearly helped backstop them to an at-large bid to the national tournament. Augustana did end up 15th in the year-end NPI rankings with an overall record of 22-11-4, but with lower-ranked Merrimack and Bentley both winning autobids as a result of their conference championships, Augustana fell just short of the cutoff.
The South Dakota university’s success over the past two years has fallen mostly on Kotai’s shoulders. The British Columbia native churned out a .931 SV%, 2.17 GAA, eight shutouts, and a 39-30-9 record in 79 career outings for the Vikings. That includes a sub-2.00 GAA in each of his two seasons as a starter. Only one goalie in college hockey (min. 10 games) had a better save percentage than Kotai’s .938 mark this season – Denver rookie backup Johnny Hicks, who’s posted a .958 mark in 17 outings entering tournament play.
At 6’1″ and 165 lbs, Kotai lacks size. It’s still hard to make the argument that he wasn’t the best undrafted goaltender available in this year’s NCAA free agent market, given what he’s done for the Vikings to date. He joins the Islanders’ pipeline, where he will challenge as the highest-ceiling option in the organization to support Ilya Sorokin long-term. None of their current AHL options are particularly inspiring, although 2024 fourth-round pick Dmitri Gamzin has now emerged as the starter for Russia’s CSKA Moscow with some great numbers. It’s unclear when, if at all, he plans to come stateside, but he’ll remain in Russia through at least the end of his current contract, which ends in 2027-28.
Lower-Body Injuries For Duclair And Pulock
The Islanders were without a pair of veterans as they continued their push for the playoffs against Columbus. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Ryan Pulock and winger Anthony Duclair were out due to lower-body injuries. Both players took a regular shift on Saturday in Montreal while there was no word on how long either would miss.
Pulock has been a big part of the back end for the Islanders this season, logging just shy of 21 minutes per game while chipping in with 25 points and a team-high 124 blocked shots. Meanwhile, Duclair has bounced back a bit from a disastrous first season with the team to provide New York with some secondary scoring. He has 12 goals and 15 assists in 60 outings although he’s in a bit of a slump at the moment having not scored since January 21st.
Latest On Kyle Palmieri
- New York Islanders veteran Kyle Palmieri has started skating on his own, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in November. A return before next fall won’t be happening, but it’s encouraging news for the 35-year-old. Considering that Palmieri forced a turnover and earned an assist in an unforgettable moment moments after the major injury, it’s another example of his resilience. The winger will root on his club to make it into the playoffs, looking ahead to 2026-27, the final year of his contract. Always durable, Palmieri played in just 25 games this year, the fewest since the 2011-12 season, but he was still productive with 18 points.
Scott Reedy Released From AHL PTO
- The New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, released veteran forward Scott Reedy from his PTO, per Kenny Kaminsky of Isles In The Sound. Reedy, 26, got a tryout from the Islanders back in February but went scoreless in six games played for Bridgeport. It’s been a tough few years for Reedy as he’s tried to work his way back into NHL consideration after a strong 2021-22 campaign that saw him score 18 goals in the AHL and earn 35 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, where he would score seven goals. Last season, Reedy scored nine points in 25 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.
Islanders Sign Cole Eiserman To Entry-Level Deal
March 18: The Islanders officially announced Eiserman has signed his entry-level deal, which begins next season. He’ll finish out the year with Bridgeport on a tryout as expected.
March 17: After signing one of their best non-NHL affiliate prospects earlier today, it doesn’t appear the New York Islanders are finished yet. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Islanders are finalizing a contract with forward prospect Cole Eiserman.
If and when Eiserman puts pen to paper on his entry-level contract, Pagnotta expects that he’ll begin his professional career with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Unfortunately, despite his offensive potential, New York doesn’t have much room for him on the NHL roster at this point.
Still, that is expected to change as early as next season. It would be surprising to see the Islanders fail to extend captain Anders Lee before July 1, but they are actively looking to trade Anthony Duclair, which would open up a roster spot for Eiserman this summer.
As one of the best pure goal-scorers from the 2024 NHL Draft class, Eiserman has continued to do just that at the collegiate level. Across two years with the Boston University Terriers, Eiserman scored 43 goals and 21 assists in 71 games. He took a step back in terms of his production this season, but he was far from the only one to do so in the Terriers program.
He’s also been a proficient player at the international level. During the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, Eiserman scored five goals and 10 points in 12 games, helping Team USA to a Gold medal finish in the 2024-25 tournament.
In Bridgeport, the Islanders will want to make sure Eiserman plays next to an established playmaker. He has one of the heaviest shots and quickest releases for his age, but he doesn’t appear to have the level to his game to drive an entire line. There were some serious question marks surrounding his play on the defensive side of the puck entering the 2024 NHL Draft, and New York will want to make sure he continues to grow on that side of the game.
Islanders Sign Kashawn Aitcheson To Entry-Level Deal
The New York Islanders have signed 2025 first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson to a three-year, entry-level contract. Their top defense prospect will see his deal begin next season. His deal essentially works out to a max ELC in every area except performance bonuses with a cap hit of $1.075MM, per PuckPedia. The full breakdown is as follows:
2026-27: $922.5K NHL salary, $102.5K signing bonus, up to $500K in performance bonuses, $85K minors salary
2027-28: $967.5K NHL salary, $107.5K signing bonus, up to $500K in performance bonuses, $85K minors salary
2028-29: $1.013MM NHL salary, $112.5K signing bonus, up to $500K in performance bonuses, $85K minors salary
Aitcheson led all OHL defensemen in scoring this season with 28 goals and 70 points in only 54 games. His 1.30 points-per-game average ranks in the top-20 among OHL defenseman since 2000, though Aitcheson’s 0.52 goals-per-game average has only been topped by four players in that time frame – Brandt Clarke, Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, and Nicolas Hague.
Aitcheson found a unique mix of aggression, physicality, and scoring prowess through four seasons with the Colts. After netting just three points in his first 23 games in the league, the left-defender boomed with 39 points and 126 penalty minutes in 64 games of the 2023-24 season. He balanced out those totals ahead of his draft year last season, ending the year with 26 goals and 59 points – both best on the Barrie roster. This season, while serving as Barrie’s captain, he found a mix of both, emerging above a point-per-game pace and ranked second on Barrie in penalty minutes (86).
Through his OHL career, Aitcheson set the record for the most goals (63) and points (171) scored by a Barrie defenseman. He beat out the previous marks of 40 goals and 158 points set by Clarke through three seasons. Aitcheson also scored four points in seven games of the 2026 World Junior Championship and notched three points in seven games at the 2024 World U18 Championship.
Aitcheson’s unique style was enough to earn the 17th overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, joining a great Islanders draft class led by Matthew Schaefer and Victor Eklund. Now, New York will get to test how Aitcheson can translate his heavy-hitting and strong-scoring to the pro flight. He will be eligible to join the NHL roster right away – but won’t be able to play in the AHL, as he won’t turn 20 until this summer. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Aitcheson could have the frame needed to ease into NHL minutes sooner rather than later.
Semyon Varlamov Had Two Knee Replacements
In a post-deadline roundup, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicated that the New York Islanders put forward a strong effort to trade Anthony Duclair. Pagnotta didn’t articulate if the Islanders got close, but he did say that Duclair was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade.
Although nothing came together at the deadline, Pagnotta did report that the Islanders attempted to trade Duclair earlier this year, which he used his no-trade clause to block. If New York is intent on moving on Duclair in the summer months, his trade protection will drop to a 16-team no-trade list, offering increased flexibility.
There’s no questioning why the Islanders want to move on from Duclair. The team is operating fairly close to the upper limit of the salary cap, and dealing away Duclair’s $3.5MM salary would provide some breathing room. Despite an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign, Duclair has made up for his value this year, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 57 games, averaging 13:19 of ice time per game.
Islanders’ Max Shabanov Out Day-To-Day
The New York Islanders’ Monday practice was laden with positive injury updates, including the brief return of Pierre Engvall, Alexander Romanov, and Sergei Varlamov at various points around practice. Even with the positives, New York will need to adjust their lineup, as winger Max Shabanov recovers from a day-to-day, lower-body injury per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner.
The Islanders iced depth winger Kyle MacLean and listed Shabanov as a healthy scratch in Saturday’s win over the Calgary Flames. MacLean contributed one assist to the Islanders’ three-goal effort. That brought him up to seven points in 48 games this season. MacLean has spent many of those games in a fourth-line role that should continue on until Shabanov returns to a lineup role. New York could also lean on Marc Gatcomb, who has scored four points in 36 games this season.
Shabanov has had a tough time transitioning to the NHL after a standout season in Russia’s KHL last season. He finished the 2024-25 season with 23 goals and 67 points in 65 KHL games, the third-most points in the league. That production made Shabanov a top free agent last summer. Multiple teams were in on the race to sign the stickhandling wizard, with the Islanders ultimately winning out.
New York began the season with Shabanov in a middle-six role. He scored 10 points in his first 19 NHL games, while averaging just over 14 minutes a game. That hot streak was followed by a nine-game stretch where Shabanov only scored one point, beginning in mid-December. He kicked the bug for a bit, only to fall into another cold streak recently, with one point in his last 12 games.
The Islanders have responded to the dwindling scoring by demoting Shabanov to a fourth-line role and even healthy scratching the scoring winger. He sits with four goals and 16 points in 42 games in his NHL rookie season. A short-term injury will offer Shabanov a chance to rest up after a tough stretch and prepare to once again contribute strong scoring as the Islanders push for their first playoff appearance since 2024.