Islanders Prospect Report: Mar. 23, 2026

Welcome to the Islanders Prospect Report, a weekly roundup of the Islanders' junior, collegiate and European prospects. Visit our In the System page for more prospect content.

EISERMAN SIGNS ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT

Cole Eiserman’s sophomore season with Boston University was ended early, but the 19-year-old signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

Eiserman, who the Islanders picked 20^th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, finished second on BU with 28 points (18G, 10A) in 32 games, with his 18 goals leading the team. He totaled 57 points (38G, 19A) in his two seasons with BU.

The American forward debuted with the Bridgeport Islanders in the American Hockey League (AHL) with a back-to-back set against the Hershey Bears on Mar. 21 and 22. Eiserman registered one shot on goal in each game and was a minus one rating over the weekend series.

SEVERAL ISLANDERS PROSPECTS QUALIFY FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT 

The 2026 NCAA Division One Men’s Ice Hockey Championship tournament begin play with the Regional Semifinals on Thursday and Friday. Four Islanders prospects – Sam Laurila (North Dakota), Quinn Finley (Wisconsin), Xavier Veilleux (Cornell) and Tomas Machu (Providence) – and their teams qualified for the big tournament.

Laurila, who the Isles took in the fifth-round (138^th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, and the University of North Dakota are the No. 2 seed and will face Merrimack University on Mar. 26 at 8:30 p.m.

The winner of that Mar. 26 contest will advance to the Regional Final on Mar. 28. Laurila has 10 points (1G, 9A) in 33 games this season.

In the same region is Machu and the Providence University Friars, who take on Quinnipiac University on Mar. 26 at 5 p.m. in their Regional Semifinal game.

If Providence and North Dakota win, Machu and Laurila will go head-to-head in the Reginal Final. Machu, who was drafted in the seventh-round (221^st overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has totaled four points (4A) in 34 games this season.

On the east coast of the United States, Finley and the University of Wisconsin Badgers are scheduled to play Dartmouth College on Mar. 26 at 4 p.m.

Wisconsin was upset 7-1 by The Ohio State University in the Big Ten Quarterfinal. Finley, who was the Islanders’ third-round pick (78^th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, was held off the scoresheet last time out, but finished third on the team with 28 points (15G, 13A) in 33 games this campaign.

To round out those prospects competing for an NCAA National Title, Xavier Veillux and Cornell University challenge the University of Denver on Mar. 27 at 6 p.m.

Cornell dropped 3-2 to Princeton University in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Quarterfinals on Mar. 20. Veilleux, who was selected in the sixth round (179^th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, leads all Cornell defensemen with 26 points (6G, 20A) this season.

ISLANDERS HEVAILY REPRESENTED IN THE CANADIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE (CHL) PLAYOFFS

The Islanders have three prospects – Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts), Luca Romano (Kitchener Rangers) and Jesse Nurmi (London Knights) – competing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoffs and two more prospects – Jacob Kvasnicka (Penticton Vees) and Tomas Poletin (Kelowna Rockets) – in the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs this year.

Beginning in the OHL, Aitcheson and the Barrie Colts face the Niagara IceDogs in round one of the OHL Playoffs. The Colts finished their regular season with a 3-2 overtime loss to the IceDogs on Saturday. Aitcheson, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Islanders on Tuesday, didn’t notch a point but did deliver a crunching hit in that defeat.

The Canadian defenseman led all OHL defensemen and ranked second on the Colts with 70 points (28G, 48A) in 56 regular season outings.

On Friday, Jesse Nurmi and the Knights will host the Soo Greyhounds for their opening 2026 OHL Playoff game.

London ended the season fourth in the Western Conference with a 40-23-5 record. Nurmi, who was the Islanders’ fourth-round pick (113^th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, tallied 31 points (14G, 17A) in 30 games after beginning the season in the ECHL.

Ending off the OHL, Romano and the Rangers face off against the Saginaw Spirit in their round one series.

Kitchener finished as the top team in the Western Conference with a 47-14-7 record. Romano, who was drafted in the third round (74^th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, ranked ninth on the Rangers with 33 points (14G, 19A) in 55 regular season games this year.

Over in the WHL, Kvasnicka and the Vees will take on the Seattle Thunderbirds in their best-of-seven series.

Penticton (98 points) finished second in the Western Conference with a 44-14-10 record. Kvasnicka, who was New York’s seventh-round selection (202^nd overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, led the Vees and was tied for 10^th in the entire WHL with 85 points (35G, 50A) in the regular season.

Sticking with the WHL, Poletin and the Rockets await a first-round opponent in the 2026 WHL Playoffs.

Kelowna ended fourth in the Western Conference with a 38-21-9 record. Poletin, who was drafted in the fourth round (106^th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, finished seventh on the team with 35 points (20G, 15A) in the regular season.

STATS

CHL

Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie) OHL | 56GP, 28G, 42A, 70P, 97PIM

Luca Romano (Kitchener) OHL | 55GP, 14G, 19A, 33P, 22PIM

Burke Hood (Vancouver) WHL | 42GP, 18-18-2, 3.83 GAA, .892 SV%, 0 SO

Jacob Kvasnicka (Penticton) WHL | 65GP, 35G, 50A, 85P, 21PIM

Tomas Poletín (Kelowna) WHL | 43GP, 20G, 15A, 35P, 38PIM

Jesse Nurmi (London) OHL | 30GP, 14G, 17A, 31P, 10PIM

KHL

Daniil Prokhorov | Dynamo Moscow (KHL) | 23GP, 1G, 0A, 1P, 2PIM

Daniil Prokhorov | Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL) | 25GP, 9G, 9A, 18P, 14PIM

Daniil Prokhorov | MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) | 8GP, 3G, 3A, 6P, 0PIM

Dmitry Gamzin | CSKA Moscow (KHL) | 40GP, 22-10-6, 1.49 GAA, .938 SV%, 8 SO

SWEDEN

Victor Eklund | Djurgårdens IF (SHL) | 43GP, 6G, 18A, 24P, 22PIM

Dennis Good Bogg | Väsby IK (HockeyEttan) | 7GP, 1G, 1A, 2P, 6PIM

Dennis Good Bogg | Karlskrona HK (HockeyEttan) | 29GP, 0G, 3A, 3P, 41PIM

NCAA

Sam Laurila | North Dakota (NCHC) | 33GP, 1G, 9A, 10P, 29PIM

Quinn Finley | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 33GP, 15G, 13A, 28P, 22PIM

Zachary Shultz | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 12GP, 0G, 3A, 3P, 12PIM

Danny Nelson | Notre Dame (Big Ten) | 36GP, 13G, 16A, 29P, 32PIM

Tomas Machu | Providence College (Hockey East) | 34GP, 0G, 4A, 4P, 20PIM

Cole Eiserman | Boston Univ. (Hockey East) | 32GP, 18G, 10A, 28P, 14PIM

Kamil Bednarik | Boston Univ. (Hockey East) | 35GP, 5G, 11A, 16P, 20PIM

Xavier Veilleux | Cornell (ECAC) | 33GP, 6G, 20A, 26P, 10PIM