The Islanders’ rookie camp group arrives with a little bit of everything: raw prospects, recent draftees, and a few players who can feel the NHL door creaking open.
New York announced a 25-man roster Wednesday made up of 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders, and the headliners are easy to spot. Cole Eiserman, Victor Eklund, Isaiah George and Kashawn Aitcheson are all in the mix, but they’re not all in the same place in their development.
George may have the most on the line right away. The 22-year-old defenseman already has NHL experience, and this camp gives him a real shot to stick with the Islanders this time.
Eklund is in a similar spot, at least in terms of opportunity. The No. 16 pick in 2025 finished last season with Bridgeport before making his NHL debut, and he’ll get a legitimate chance to force his way onto the Islanders’ opening roster out of training camp.
Eiserman is another name worth watching closely. The 2024 first-round pick got his first professional action late last season after leaving Boston University, and he put up nine points in 12 games with Bridgeport. His shot has long been his calling card, and rookie camp is another chance to show the rest of his game is moving along with it.
The 2025 draft class adds even more interest, with Aitcheson, Daniil Prokhorov and Tomas Poletin all on the roster. Vladimir Dravecky, New York’s fourth-round pick this summer, is also among the eight defensemen taking part.
One player not listed is 2026 first-round pick Malte Gustafsson, who did attend development camp in July.
That’s what gives this rookie camp its appeal. Some players are here to build.
Others are here to compete for jobs. For George, and maybe Eklund too, it could be the start of an audition that runs all the way to the Islanders’ final NHL roster decisions.
In Other News...
Islanders May Be Zeroing In On A Young Scorer Who Fits Everything
The Islanders continue to work through a roster picture that still feels very much in motion, and Kirill Marchenko has emerged as a name worth tracking. Elliotte Friedman reported that New York has interest in the Columbus Blue Jackets winger, a 26-year-old who has established himself as a productive young scorer and looks like the kind of player who could fit into the Islanders' competitive window without forcing them too far off course.
For a team trying to balance present needs with a longer-range plan, Marchenko makes for an intriguing match on paper. Nothing has been confirmed, and the talks remain firmly in speculative territory, but the fact that New York is even being linked to a player of his profile suggests the Islanders are still weighing ways to add offense while keeping an eye on their timeline for contention. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah George Could Force An Islanders Decision At Rookie Camp
Isaiah George is back at rookie camp for the fifth time, which is a reminder of how long the Islanders have been tracking his progress and how close he may finally be to turning that buildup into something more permanent. He has already skated in 33 NHL games, and there is a real sense around the organization that the young defenseman is no longer just a promising prospect trying to make an impression, but a player with a legitimate path to becoming part of the everyday group.
Pete DeBoer has made it clear that Georges skating and overall style fit what the Islanders want to do, and that kind of endorsement matters when roster spots are still up for grabs. With a chance to compete for a regular role and maybe even push an established player, George is the sort of camp story that can quietly become one of the more important decisions of the preseason. [Read more 🡒]