CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Drafting and developing players is the key for long-term success for the Charlottetown Islanders.
A look at this year’s roster shows 15 of the 24 players were selected through various drafts. The roster includes a few free-agent acquisitions while others were picked up in trades.
With that in mind, The Guardian is digging into the pipeline to see what may lie ahead for the future.
Islanders head coach Jim Hulton, who doubles as the team’s general manager, said it endeavours to hit on its top draft picks each year and hopes for a few surprises along the way.
The Islanders have done well in recent years, plucking Keiran Gallant in the 13th round of the 2018 draft and Zac Beauregard in the 10th round of 2017.
The Islanders already have three 16-year-olds wearing their jersey this year. They include goalie Jacob Goobie and forward Justin Gill, both second-rounders last season, plus defenceman Oscar Plandowski, a first-round pick the Isles traded for in August.
One name in particular to watch from last year’s draft, who is not playing for the team, is Ryan Greene, who has verbal commitment to play NCAA hockey at Boston University. However, the door remains open to talking with the Isles.
“That could turn it from a good draft into a fantastic draft if he comes,” Hulton said. “That’s a game-changer.”
Here’s a look at some of those prospects, who have already been drafted by the Islanders and could wear the black and gold in the coming seasons:
2019 draft
Luke Vardy
Who – A 16-year-old defenceman from Hammonds Plains, N.S.
Acquired – Third round, 49th overall.
2019-20 – The six-foot, 181-pound blue-liner is attending St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ont.
Need to know – He didn’t attend training camp this season because his prep school squad was in a tournament in Germany. Vardy broke his collarbone early in the season, so he hasn’t played a lot in 2019-20. The Islanders will have staff attend some of the upcoming festivals to see him play and expect him to report to camp in August.
Hulton said: “He’s a right-shot D who is kind of earmarked by his competitiveness. He’s a gritty guy who is kind of solid in all areas.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
13 3 2 5
Ryan Greene
Who – A 16-year-old centre from Paradise, N.L. (the same community Islanders assistant captain Brett Budgell calls home).
Acquired – Fourth round, 59th overall.
2019-20 – Greene is playing his second season at Selects Academy in Connecticut. He was a first-round talent who slid in the QMJHL draft because he had NCAA options. He has a verbal commitment to Boston University, but the Isles haven’t given up hope of recruiting him to P.E.I., where he would be reunited with his Selects Academy teammate Oscar Plandowski.
Need to know – Islanders Quebec head scout Alan Cusson has been to Connecticut to see Greene play and speak with him. Islanders Maritime head scout Trevor Birt will make a visit in the new year. Greene is a potential No. 1 centre in major junior. With high-skilled guys like Lukas Cormier and Plandowski, the Isles will sell their ability to develop players and provide the canvas for players to shine when making their pitch to Greene.
Hulton said: “We’ve had a lot of great communication with him, so the door is not completely closed. Yes, he does have a verbal commit – like a lot of these kids do – but there’s a willingness to at least have a conversation.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
33 16 28 44
Ben Boyd
Who – A 16-year-old forward from Dartmouth, N.S.
Acquired – Fifth round, 75th overall.
2019-20 – He is playing a key role for the Cole Harbour Wolfpack major midget team, which made it to the final of the Monctonian before losing to the host squad earlier this season. With the Islanders banged up in November, Boyd played two games for the major junior club.
Need to know – The Islanders have been pleased with Boyd’s progress. They drafted him as part of an emphasis to get bigger. They sent him back to midget to get faster, and the Islanders have seen significant improvements in his skating.
Hulton said: The Islanders are encouraging him to play a north-south game and be a prototypical power forward. “It’s that big body and a willingness to knock guys on their ass that we really like.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
24 9 11 20
Charles-Edward Tardif
Who – A 16-year-old centre from Quebec City, Que.
Acquired – Eighth round, 139th overall.
2019-20 – He is back at Ontario Hockey Academy (OHA) for a second season and the Islanders scouts are actively tracking him.
Need to know – He is the captain of his OHA team.
Hulton said: “They speak glowingly of him there.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
14 9 20 29
Alex Graham
Who – A 16-year-old forward from Charlottetown.
Acquired – Ninth round, 147th overall.
2019-20 – He is in his first season with the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild major midgets.
Hulton said: “We just want him to perfect the things he’s good at. He’s one of those depth guys that if he’s going to play here, he’s going to have to play with grit and with energy. In the sample size we’ve seen so far, he’s done that, and he’s continued to add a little bit of offence to his game.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
14 14 5 19
Matt McQuaid
Who – A 16-year-old defenceman from Charlottetown.
Acquired – Ninth round, 157th overall.
2019-20 – Playing for the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild, he missed some time earlier in the year with a concussion.
Hulton said: “He’s got the typical McQuaid size (and) good reach. . . He’s been a pretty good player on a good Kensington team here so far.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
13 1 5 6
Michael Horth
Who – A 16-year-old forward from Ste-Catherine, Que.
Acquired – Ninth round, 159th overall.
2019-20 – He is playing major midget for Charles-Lemoyne College midgets.
Hulton said: Not unlike the major junior team, Horth has dealt with injuries in the first half. The Isles will get a better look at him after the Christmas break.
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
8 2 1 3
Samuel Chabot
Who – A 16-year-old right-winger from Boisbriand, Que.
Acquired – 10th round, 175th overall.
2019-20 – He is back playing with the Saint-Eustache Vikings midget squad.
Need to know – The Islanders wanted him to work on his speed.
Hulton said: “He thought the game pretty well and his hands were alright, but you didn't get to see it as much because of the pace here. He’s working hard on that, and time will tell.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
23 6 9 15
Daniel Kline
Who – A 16-year-old right-winger from Halifax.
Acquired – 11th round, 193rd overall.
2019-20 – He has returned to the Halifax McDonald’s major midget squad and is playing in all situations.
Hulton said: “He’s getting a ton of ice time. He’s playing a pretty big role on a Halifax team that has traditionally had success.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
22 6 11 17
Massimo Gentile
Who – A 16-year-old centre from Pointe-Claire, Que.
Acquired – 12th round, 211th overall.
2019-20 – He is at Top Gun prep school in New England.
Need to know – He didn’t attend training camp because of a travel issue but is a guy the Islanders scouts are intrigued by.
Hulton said: “Our Quebec guys have a little inkling he could surprise down the road.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
7 6 2 8
Sam Archibald
Who – A 16-year-old centre from Debert, N.S.
Acquired – 13th round, 229th overall.
2019-20 – He is playing with the Pictou County Weeks major midget team in Nova Scotia.
Need to know – He broke his ankle during the Islanders training camp. The five-foot-seven, 146-pound pivot is known for his energy and offence.
Hulton said: “He had a really good Monctonian. Our Nova Scotia scouts are really high on him.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
14 3 7 10
Max Chisholm
Who – A 16-year-old forward from Summerside.
Acquired – 14th round, 247th overall.
2019-20 – He is the captain of the Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Knights major midget team.
Hulton said: “We were happy to see him get the C on his sweater because that is the kind of guy he’s going to have to be – a character guy” who kills penalties and block shots.
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
16 4 9 13
***
2018 draft
Dell Welton
Who – A 17-year-old defenceman from Baddeck, N.S.
Acquired – 11th round, 190th overall.
2019-20 – He is playing his first year of junior hockey with the Truro Bearcats of the Maritime Junior Hockey League.
Need to know – He played seven games with the Islanders earlier this season when injuries struck.
Hulton said: “Dell . . . did a really good job for us on a tough road trip. He’s intriguing, he’s got a chance. The nice part is, when I talked to Shawn Evans in Truro he thought his game had really elevated when he came back after playing with us, which is exactly what we wanted to hear.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
18 2 1 3
Chad Arsenault
Who – A 17-year-old goalie from St. Raphael.
Acquired – 12th round, 208th overall.
2019-20 – He is playing with the Valley Wildcats in Maritime Junior Hockey League after two seasons with the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild major midgets.
Need to know – Arsenault was recalled when Jacob Goobie was at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Hulton said: “He didn't get an opportunity to play here, but we all know his pedigree. . . (Upon his return to Valley) his game went to another level according to his coach.”
2019-20 statistics
W L OTL GAA SAV%
3 7 0 3.95 .891
Nick Bourque
Who – An 18-year-old defenceman from Moncton.
Acquired – 14th round, 243rd overall.
2019-20 – After captaining the Moncton Flyers major midget squad last season, Bourque is playing his first year of junior A with the Edmundston Blizzard.
Need to know – He is the son of the Islanders New Brunswick scout Robert Bourque.
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
18 0 3 3
***
American draft
Tommy Aitken
Who – A 17-year-old goalie from Winchester, Mass.
Acquired – First round, 10th overall.
2019-20 – The former Selects Academy and Omaha Lancers (USHL) goalie is playing with St. Thomas Academy in Minnesota this season.
Need to know – The Islanders, like many QMJHL squads, haven’t had much luck getting American kids to come north of the border, but things sound different with Aitken, who has expressed an interest in playing in the league. The Islanders will also have a spot open next year with Matthew Welsh graduating from junior.
Hulton said: “He’s wide open to playing in the Q. . . He’s willing to come in next year and battle for a spot.”
2019-20 statistics
GP GAA SAV%
3 2.33 .932
***
2017 draft
Nolan Boyd
Who – An 18-year-old goalie from Fall River, N.S.
Acquired – Sixth round, 108th overall.
2019-20 – He is playing a second season with the Grand Falls Rapids of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. Former Islanders assistant coach Brad MacKenzie is the head coach in Grand Falls and Islanders goalie coach Paul Drew is the Rapids goaltending consultant.
Hulton said: “Similar to Chad, he’s getting a lot of playing time at the junior level against older, bigger, faster, stronger guys is a big part of his development. We thought he had a really, really good training camp – a much-improved camp from the year before – so we want to see that progression continue.”
2019-20 statistics
W L OTL GAA SAV%
3 3 1 3.82 .877
Zac Arsenault
Who – A 18-year-old defenceman from Montague.
Acquired – 10th round, 179th overall.
2019-20 – After three seasons with the Kensington Wild, Arsenault is playing his first season in the junior A league with the Grand Falls Rapids.
Need to know – Arsenault, who was one of the final cuts at training camp, joined the Islanders for a recent Quebec road trip. He had an assist in three games. The Isles brass has seen improvements in Arsenault’s game, particularly in moving the puck quicker.
Hulton said: “He’s doing a great job playing for Brad (MacKenzie) in Grand Falls and certainly bailed us out of a tough spot there. . . You never know what happens at the deadline if spots come open. He’s really, really close to being able to play at this level, so we owe it to him, if it’s not here, to try to find him a spot. So, we’ll actively try at the deadline. If a spot opens us here, he could be here.”
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts.
23 2 3 5
