Kashawn Aitcheson and Cole Eiserman got a taste of the pro spotlight this week in Chicago, where the two top New York Islanders prospects took part in the 2026 NHLPA Rookie Showcase.
They were part of a group that featured some of the game’s most talked-about young names, including this year’s top pick Gavin McKenna, as well as Porter Martone, Cole Hutson, and Quentin Musty. Over the multi-day event, each attendee also received his first professional hockey card from Upper Deck. The showcase wraps up during the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, over the weekend.
While the Islanders’ prospects were getting that kind of first-class treatment, the organization was also busy adding depth on the ice. New York signed Alex Jefferies, Joey Larson, and Hamilton, Ontario native Brandon Scanlin to one-year AHL contracts with the Hamilton Hammers.
Jefferies, a fourth-round pick by the Islanders in the 2020 NHL Draft, is set for his third full season and fourth overall in the organization. Before turning pro, he put together a strong NCAA run at Merrimack College, where he was named NCAA East Second-Team All-American in 2023 and was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee in 2024. In 131 games with Bridgeport, Jefferies has posted 26 goals and 39 assists for 65 points.
Larson is entering his second full season in the Islanders organization after a breakout year in Bridgeport. The Brighton, Michigan native scored 17 goals and added 11 assists for 28 points in 63 games last season.
Before his pro career began late in the 2024-25 season, Michigan’s 2018 Mr. Hockey had a strong college career at Northern Michigan and Michigan State, where he helped the Spartans win back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2024 and 2025.
Scanlin brings the most experience of the group. He arrives in Hamilton after five seasons in the New York Rangers organization, with most of that time spent with AHL Hartford. The veteran defenseman played 60-plus games in each of his first three full seasons with the Wolf Pack, then appeared in 49 games last season, his lowest total since he turned pro late in 2021-22 and got into 15 games as a rookie.
For the Islanders, it’s a mix of future-facing moments and practical roster work. Aitcheson and Eiserman got the kind of memory every young player dreams about, while the Hammers picked up another layer of depth - plus a veteran presence in Scanlin for a roster that’s trying to keep moving forward after last season in Bridgeport.
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