Islanders Prospect Report: Nov. 20, 2023

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.

\Here are this week's updates on Islanders prospects: **

GILL RECORDS HIS FIRST HAT TRICK OF THE YEAR

Justin Gill is continuing to dominate offensively for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, picking up seven points in three games including his first hat trick of the season.

His seven points (5G, 3A) and +4 rating over his last three games earned him a spot on the QMJHL Team of the Week, recognizing players with impressive showings for the week of Nov. 13 to 19.

The Islanders’ 2023 fifth-round pick (145th overall) led the way offensively in Thursday’s 6-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs. Down 1-0 in the period, Gill potted a pair of goals in response to take a 2-1 advantage. He capped off his hat trick at 2:51 of the final frame to make it 4-2.

The win also extended Baie-Comeau’s home point streak to 10 games, establishing the best start to the season in franchise history on home ice. The Drakkar rank first in the league with a record of 20-2-3 and are riding a four-game winning streak.

Gill has been a vital component in his team’s success and is standing out in QMJHL rankings. The 20-year-old forward leads the QMJHL in points (42) and assists (27). 

Gill is riding a career-long 17 game point streak, with 14 goals and 22 assists over that span. The 20-year-old recorded five consecutive multi-point games. He has not been kept off the scoresheet since Oct. 9, which was the only game this season where he did not record a point.

JEFFERIES LIGHTS THE LAMP

Alex Jefferies is maintaining a goal-per-game pace, potting his sixth goal of the season over the weekend for Merrimack.

The Islanders’ 2020 fourth-round pick (121st overall) scored the opening goal in Saturday’s 3-2 OT loss to UMass Lowell. The 22-year-old forward took five shots, recorded one blocked shot and won the only faceoff he took in the contest.

Jefferies has nine points (6G, 3A) through six games played in his senior year at Merrimack. His six goals tie him with two other players in the Hockey East with the most goals in the conference. 

STATS

CHL: 

Isaiah George | London (OHL) | 21GP, 3G, 3A, 6P, 13PIM 

Justin Gill | Drakkar de Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) | 22GP, 15G, 27A, 42P, 22PIM 

Liiga: 

Aleksi Malinen | JYP | 15GP, 0G, 2A, 2P, 0PIM 

Jesse Nurmi | Kookoo | 14GP, 0G, 1A, 1P, 0PIM 

Matias Rajaniemi | SaiPa | 18GP, 0G, 1A, 1P, 2PIM 

Allsvenskan: 

Dennis Good Bogg | AIK | 3GP, 0G, 0A, 0P, 0PIM 

Alexander Ljungkrantz | Almtuna IS | 15GP, 8G, 3A, 11P, 4PIM 

Calle Odelius | Djurgardens IF | 9GP, 0G, 4A, 4P, 2PIM 

USHL: 

Tomas Machu | Youngstown | 18GP, 0G, 4A, 4P, 28PIM 

NCAA: 

Cameron Berg | North Dakota (NCHC) | 12GP, 2G, 7A, 9P, 2PIM 

Quinn Finley | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 12GP, 3G, 2A, 5P, 2PIM 

Alex Jefferies | Merrimack (Hockey East) | 6GP, 6G, 3A, 9P, 0PIM 

Danny Nelson | Notre Dame (Big Ten) | 13GP, 2G, 7A, 9P, 8PIM 

Zachary Schulz | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 7GP, 0G, 0A, 0P, 0PIM

Justin Gill (header) photo courtesy of Kassandra Blais/Baie-Comeau