The New York Islanders have an abundance of defensemen throughout the system. In the NHL, the defense core consists of veterans Johnny Boychuk, Thomas Hickey, and Nick Leddy, young stars Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Devon Toews and top prospect Noah Dobson. In the system, the depth goes even further with players such as Bode Wilde, Samuel Bolduc and Grant Hutton.
There are three more defensemen that the Islanders have in the system that have been around for a while now, and are heading into what some may call a “make-or-break” season. One of the three defensemen has minimal NHL experience, while the other two have been stationary in the AHL for a few years now. Here are three defensemen that need to have a successful season in order for the Islanders to determine what the future holds.

Parker Wotherspoon:
The first of the three defensemen is Parker Wotherspoon. Wotherspoon, 22, is entering his third full season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and has been a pleasant surprise. The 2015 fourth-round pick has made strides in his game with regards to his defense and skating. He always had an offensive side of his game, the primary reason the Islanders selected the 6’2″ left-shot defenseman. Since joining Bridgeport at the end of the 2016-17 season, he has tallied 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 118 games, which are very good numbers for a prospect in his early twenties in the AHL.

Why does he need to have a make-or-break season this year?

Well, he is not the highest-ranking left-shot defenseman on the depth chart, and the Islanders have the same type of versatility he brings (he could play left and right side) on the main squad. I feel like if he gets the ice time he deserves, then he should be able to prove himself worthy of staying around, and maybe even sending him into consideration for a call-up due to injuries in the near future.

Mitch Vande Sompel:

The second of the three defensemen is Mitch Vande Sompel. Vande Sompel, 22, is also entering his third full season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers just like Wotherspoon and has been a consistent offensive powerhouse on the blueline. The 2015 third-round pick was one of the two Sound Tigers representatives at the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge and has recorded 17 goals and 60 points in 128 games since becoming an AHLer. For standing at 5’11”, he brings a unique prowess on the ice that many smaller defensemen do not have.

Why does he need to have a make-or-break season this year?

He may get a little slack due to a shoulder injury he suffered during training camp, so it is unsure how long he will be out before he is cleared to play again. When he does come back, I do believe he will make a major case to jump up the depth chart and become another one of the primary call-up options, just like Wotherspoon. They have been connected since their draft year, and I think that will continue within the Islanders organization.

Sebastian Aho:

If we are taking NHL experience into play, then Sebastian Aho has the upper hand. The difference is Aho, 23, has slowly fallen down the depth chart already heading into the season. After being drafted in the fifth round in 2017, Aho played in 22 NHL games due to the injury bug that plagued the Islanders defensive core that year, scoring one goal and tallying three assists. He has spent the rest of the time, however, with the Sound Tigers. The 2018 AHL All-Star has scored 18 goals and added 57 assists for 75 points in 107 AHL games, and he looked like the primary injury call-up last season. Heading into this season, it looks like he may have been jumped by collegiate defenseman Grant Hutton, who looked stellar in camp and had a strong end of the season once he went to Bridgeport.

Why does he need to have a make-or-break season this year?

As I already stated, it looks like he has already started dropping on the depth chart, and could potentially get passed if he does not have a strong season. Unlike Hutton, he did not have a stellar preseason, so he needs to keep improving his game in the AHL to help prevent himself from dropping below other defensemen like Wotherspoon and Kyle Burroughs.

Which of the three defensemen intrigue you most heading into what could be a “make-or-break” season for them? Leave a comment below!
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