Islanders Prospect Report: Kvasnicka Keeps Scoring, Nurmi Finds His Groove, and Gamzin Shuts the Door
The Islanders’ pipeline is buzzing with activity, and several prospects are turning heads across junior, collegiate, and international leagues. From a red-hot scoring streak in the WHL to a shutout masterclass in the KHL, here’s a closer look at some of the standout performances from the past week.
Jacob Kvasnicka Hits 60-Point Mark, Extends Streak to Four Games
Jacob Kvasnicka is on a tear-and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The 18-year-old forward, taken in the seventh round (202nd overall) by the Islanders, has been lighting it up for the Penticton Vees in the WHL. Over his last three games, Kvasnicka racked up five points (3G, 2A), pushing his point streak to four games and bringing his total to seven points (4G, 3A) during that span.
He opened the week with a shorthanded goal and an assist in a dominant 6-0 win over the Spokane Chiefs. That goal? A textbook breakaway finish after he stripped the puck and turned on the jets-just 66 seconds into the third period.
Kvasnicka followed that up with another strong showing, notching a goal and an assist in Penticton’s second straight shutout. He was named the game’s first star, and for good reason-his goal came off an offensive zone takeaway, and it ended up being the game-winner just five minutes in.
In his next outing, he did it again-scoring the game-winner with under 11 minutes to play in regulation. That’s back-to-back clutch moments for the Minnesota native.
Kvasnicka now sits at 60 points (26G, 34A) on the season, leading the Vees in all major scoring categories. His 60 points are tied for seventh in the WHL and rank second among rookies in the 2025-26 campaign.
Oh, and Penticton has won 14 straight. Safe to say Kvasnicka’s fingerprints are all over that streak.
Jesse Nurmi Heating Up in London
Jesse Nurmi is starting to look right at home in the OHL.
The Finnish forward, selected in the fourth round (113th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, posted five points (1G, 4A) over his last two games for the London Knights-and he’s doing it with flair.
Against the Sarnia Sting, Nurmi helped spark a comeback. He picked up a power-play assist to cut the deficit and then delivered a crisp cross-crease feed that led to the overtime winner. Just a couple of days later, he turned in a three-point night (1G, 2A) as the Knights steamrolled the Peterborough Petes 10-2.
Nurmi made his presence felt early in that game, assisting on the opening goal just 89 seconds in. He added another helper midway through the second before capping his night with a goal of his own-pouncing on a loose puck in the slot and burying it for London’s ninth tally.
After starting the year in the ECHL, Nurmi has 10 points (4G, 6A) in 10 games since joining the Knights. He’s finding his rhythm, and the Knights are reaping the benefits.
Daniil Prokhorov Delivers Back-to-Back Multi-Point Games
Daniil Prokhorov is making his presence known in Russia’s VHL, and he’s doing it with a mix of skill, vision, and timely scoring.
The 2025 second-round pick (42nd overall) had a six-point week (3G, 3A) for Dynamo St. Petersburg, including two multi-point performances.
He started with a two-goal outing in a 4-3 loss to Ryazan-VDV, marking his second multi-goal game of the season. But it was his bounce-back performance that really stood out.
In a 6-3 win over Kristall S, Prokhorov put on a clinic. He assisted on a power-play goal to get Dynamo on the board, then scored midway through the second to cut the deficit to one. He wasn’t done-he set up the game-winner with just 23 seconds left in the second period and added another assist early in the third to help seal the win.
Prokhorov now has 18 points (9G, 9A) in 18 games for Dynamo St. Petersburg-tied for third on the team despite playing fewer games than anyone else in the top 10. His offensive instincts are translating well at the pro level.
Dmitry Gamzin Posts Fourth Shutout of the Season
If you’re looking for consistency between the pipes, Dmitry Gamzin is your guy.
The 22-year-old goaltender turned aside all 28 shots he faced in CSKA Moscow’s 1-0 win over Barys Astana, recording his fourth shutout of the season-and his second in his last 10 starts.
Gamzin, a fourth-round pick (115th overall) in 2024, has been one of the KHL’s top netminders this season. He leads the league with a 1.67 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. Through 28 games, he’s 15-7-4 with four shutouts.
Quietly, he’s building a resume that’s hard to ignore.
Quick Hits: Stats Snapshot
Here’s a look at how other Islanders prospects are performing across various leagues:
CHL
- Kashawn Aitcheson (OHL, Barrie): 36GP, 22G, 22A, 44P
- Luca Romano (OHL, Kitchener): 43GP, 11G, 16A, 27P
- Burke Hood (WHL, Vancouver): 33GP, 15-13-2, 3.83 GAA, .893 SV%
- Tomas Poletín (WHL, Kelowna): 30GP, 16G, 11A, 27P
KHL/VHL/MHL
- Daniil Prokhorov (KHL, Dynamo Moscow): 13GP, 1G
- Prokhorov (VHL, Dynamo St. Petersburg): 18GP, 9G, 9A
- Prokhorov (MHL, MHK Dynamo Moskva): 6GP, 2G, 3A
- Dmitry Gamzin (KHL, CSKA Moscow): 28GP, 15-7-4, 1.67 GAA, .935 SV%, 4 SO
Sweden
- Victor Eklund (SHL, Djurgårdens IF): 30GP, 1G, 12A
- Marcus Gidlof (SHL, Leksands IF): 18GP, 7-11-0, 2.90 GAA
- Dennis Good Bogg (HockeyEttan): 26GP across two teams, 1G, 1A
NCAA
- Sam Laurila (North Dakota): 22GP, 7A
- Quinn Finley (Wisconsin): 22GP, 10G, 9A
- Danny Nelson (Notre Dame): 23GP, 8G, 8A
- Cole Eiserman (Boston Univ.): 21GP, 10G, 5A
- Kamil Bednarik (Boston Univ.): 24GP, 5G, 6A
- Xavier Veilleux (Cornell): 19GP, 4G, 11A
From North America to Europe, the Islanders’ prospect pool is showing serious promise. Whether it’s Kvasnicka’s scoring touch, Nurmi’s offensive spark, Prokhorov’s playmaking, or Gamzin’s brick-wall goaltending, the future on Long Island is looking bright.