The 2020 NHL Draft wasn’t exactly the most eventful day for Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders, at least not compared to other teams. They only had five draft picks, none of which were in the first two rounds. Both of those picks were traded to the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline where Jean-Gabriel Pageau was acquired. The Islanders were left with late picks through the third to seventh rounds. Most of those picks seemed like reaches, and the players were ranked much lower by scouts than they were drafted. However, one pick stands out above the rest. That is fifth round draft pick William Dufour.

Ranked as the 103rd best prospect heading into the draft by Last Word on Sports, the Islanders managed to get the high-upside prospect with the 152nd overall pick. Dufour is a huge 6’3″, 200 pounds, and he uses his size to advantage. He is a two-way right winger that can score goals, and has solid awareness offensively and defensively. He’s the kind of player that Barry Trotz loves. Despite his size, Dufour is a strong skater and seems to have no problem keeping up with smaller players. There is some fine-tuning needed in his game, such as his edgework, awareness, and transitions, which could be the explanation for him falling in the draft, but overall, he is sound all-around player who shows a lot of promise. In today’s league, it seems that the players with the highest hockey IQ are the ones that make it farthest in the NHL out of late round picks.

In 2018, William Dufour was drafted sixth Overall by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL Entry Draft. Ironically, Islanders prospect Noah Dobson was the sixth Overall pick in the QMJHL two years prior in 2016. Dufour tallied 21 points through 43 games as a QMJHL rookie. However, he was traded from the Huskies to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens after a slow start in his rookie season. In the next season, he showed significant improvement in every facet of the game. He finished the season with 28 goals and 27 assists through 59 games. Although he was traded mid-season again, this time to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, his numbers improved drastically and his game became more well-rounded.

In terms of potential, Dufour can be a good third or fourth line option, maybe a Cal Clutterbuck replacement if he is not resigned after his contract ends in 2022. There is certainly a lot of work that needs to be done to turn him into a regular NHLer, but he has the raw talent, which can help him go a long way. Given his expectations and draft position, this could very well be a steal for the Islanders.

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others