Islanders News & Rumors: Holmstrom, Bridgeport's Rebranding & More – Hockey Writers – New York Islanders

In this edition of New York Islanders News & Rumors, we'll take a look at Simon Holmstrom getting a one-year contract extension and what that means for his future. The Islanders' hopes of getting an invitation to the Canadian World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS) team are missing, and finally, the Bridgeport Islanders are reproducing.

Holmstrom's extension

Surprisingly, the Islanders announced a contract extension in mid-July. Given the reputation of general manager Lou Lamoriello, the news doesn't come out until training camp begins. However, they announced the signing of striker Simon Holmstrom to a one-year contract. The average annual value (AAV) of his new deal is $850,000. Holmstrom accepted the extension in lieu of his qualifying offer, which was an AAV of $874,000 and a two-way deal.

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The 23-year-old Swedish native appeared in 75 games last season, scoring 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points. Last season, he played in 50 games and had six goals and three assists for nine points. In 125 career NHL games, he has a total of 21 goals and 13 assists for 38 points.

It looks like the Islanders are finally moving on from their popular scouting line that includes Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, and Casey Cizikas. Although Cizikas still has a contract, it is clear that they will allow their young players to join the team. Holmstrom will have plenty of opportunities to work his way into the lineup and produce as an everyday NHL third baseman this season under head coach Patrick Roy.

Lack of Islander Representation at WJSS

Next up, the World Junior Summer Showcase has been released, and well, Islanders fans, it's not looking good. It does not mean that the organization does not have good prospects, because it does. However, it looks like the club is running out of Canadian-born prospects. They have players like Jesse Nurmi (Finnish), Calle Odelius (Sweden), and Jesse Pulkkinen (Finnish), all of whom could represent their countries at the 2025 World Junior Championship.

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It seems like the Islanders don't have a true top prospect, someone like Colby Barlow, Easton Cowan, Tij Iginla, or even Sam Dickinson. These types of players change franchises, yet the Islanders don't have one in their system. This shows that they have been an above average team since Noah Dobson was appointed in 2018. On the other hand, there may be a chance that they lose their first round draft pick and have no end prospects. to show you. Moving forward, the Islanders will need to try and manage their draft money better so they can fill out their pool of top talent.

It looks like the Islanders will continue to push for playoff contention instead of restocking their pool with top talent. Depending on scouts and their success rate, they can find diamonds in the rough, similar to how the Toronto Maple Leafs did with current Islanders forward Pierre Engvall, who was a seventh-round pick and is now an everyday NHLer. .

The Bridgeport Islanders Rebrand

Finally, the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, and their rebranding. On July 11th, the jerseys were revealed on Twitter/X and it looks like they took one of the popular ones and made them into the perfect jerseys.

The updated version of the logo has some unique details; the Bridgeport section is now a block away from the old Islanders sign. Their full-time logo has been changed to the Fisherman logo, which pays homage to the New York Fisherman logo of the mid-90s. As for the other jerseys, no changes are made. The colors are still the same, royal green, orange, and gray, similar to the color scheme of their NHL team.