5 questions for the Islanders heading into rookie camp

There’s less than three weeks before the Islanders open their regular season, but the new NHL-NHL Players’ Association collective bargaining agreement limits training camps to 13 days and four preseason games, down from the previous norm of six.

So yes, this may feel like a mad dash to the starting line of an 84-game season — up from 82 — on Sept. 30 in Toronto.

The scramble begins in earnest on Friday with the first on-ice session for the Islanders’ rookie camp, which includes rookie games against the Devils on Sunday in Newark and Tuesday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.

The rookie camp roster includes 14 forwards (Samuel Beauchemin, Cameron Berg, Ryan Bottrill, Cole Eiserman, Victor Eklund, Quinn Finley, Layne Gallacher, Kadon McCann, Jesse Nurmi, Tomas Poletin, Daniil Prokhorov, Luke Puchner, Luca Romano and Gleb Veremyev), eight defensemen (Kashawn Aitcheson, Luke Antonacci, Julian Brown, Vladimir Dravecky, Isaiah George, Ryan Healey, Calle Odelius and Jesse Pulkkinen) and three goalies (Burke Hood, Joshua Kotai and Aaron Trotter).

Here are five rookie camp questions:

Which defensemen have the best chance of making the team?

We start here because general manager Mathieu Darche has said George, a fourth-round pick in 2022 with 37 games of NHL experience, will be given every chance to crack the roster. Despite being a lefthanded shot, George’s most likely avenue to the top six is playing his off-side and taking minutes from veteran righthanded shot Scott Mayfield. Physical lefthanded shot Aitcheson, the 17th overall pick in 2025, is no doubt ticketed for the NHL in the future but has yet to play an AHL game. Odelius and Pulkkinen are former second-rounders who wound up in the ECHL last season.

Which forwards have the best chance of making the team?

All eyes will be on Eiserman, the 20th overall pick in 2024, and Eklund, selected 16th overall in 2025, after both had late-season AHL stints. Eklund also made his NHL debut with an assist in the Islanders’ season finale. But there’s a decent chance the organization will decide that Eiserman (and his laser shot) needs more acclimation to the pro game after two seasons at Boston University and Eklund still must get used to the smaller North American rinks, particularly as they vie with Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall for roster spots.

How quickly can the goalies develop?

None of the trio is anywhere close to competing to be Ilya Sorokin’s backup. But there is a need for goalie depth in the organization and, down the road, someone capable of reaching the NHL with Sorokin 31, Semyon Varlamov 38 and coming off two knee replacement surgeries as he enters the final season of his contract, and Vitek Vanecek a 30-year-old free-agent signee with his sixth organization. Hood is a sixth-round pick in 2025 who has yet to play a pro game. Neither has Trotter, 25. Kotai, a 23-year-old undrafted free agent, had a stellar collegiate career at Augustana and the organization is optimistic about his development.

What will Quinn Finley show?

The left wing is an intriguing prospect after three seasons at Wisconsin, including a 2-1 loss to Denver in the Frozen Four title game this past spring. The Islanders had hoped Finley would end the season with their AHL affiliate but he instead was shut down for shoulder surgery that should have him ready for training camp. Finley has the skating speed, work ethic and size necessary to give himself a chance to play in the NHL and was a consistent playmaker for Wisconsin.

How far has Daniil Prokhorov progressed?

Prokhorov definitely was considered a raw product when the Islanders selected the 6-5, 209-pound right wing 42nd overall in 2025. His skating ability allows him to find time and space for his blistering shots, so there’s definitely plenty of upside in his game even as he learns hockey’s subtleties. His natural talent stood out at his first development camp in 2025 and again this summer. The organization wanted him to get some AHL seasoning after coming over from Russia last season, but he was limited to one game after blocking a shot. He’s probably still at least a couple of seasons away from competing for an NHL spot but could change that projection by showing great strides in his development.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.