The Bridgeport Islanders, like many AHL teams, feature a mix of young NHL hopefuls and grizzled veterans who likely won’t see regular NHL ice time again. For the hopefuls, it’s crucial to show growth and development to attract NHL attention. Players like William DuFour, Matthew Maggio, Alex Jefferies, and Calle Odelius fit this mold. While Maggio, Odelius and Jefferies are holding their ground, DuFour is starting to fall out of the lineup.

The Islanders selected DuFour in the fifth round (152nd overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. In his draft year, DuFour split time between the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs and Chicoutimi Sagueneens, posting 55 points in 51 games. He spent the next two seasons in the QMJHL, recording 116 points as an overager in 2021-22 with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 205 pounds, DuFour fit the mold of a “power forward.”

When DuFour made the jump to the professional level, he showed the scoring ability that many NHL scouts didn’t expect to maintain. In his first AHL season, DuFour posted 48 points in 69 games. However, his scoring rate has dropped every season since. After posting 0.695 points per game in his rookie year, he fell to 0.454 the following year. In 2024-25 (his third year), DuFour needed to show the scoring ability he displayed in the QMJHL to earn an NHL call-up.

Unfortunately for DuFour and the Islanders, he has done the opposite. Through 20 games this season, DuFour has just six points. His points per game have dropped again to 0.300. AHL forwards who score fewer than 25 points rarely earn an NHL spot. This situation is becoming more dire, and B-Isles Head Coach Rick Kowalsky has only intensified the pressure this season.

Kowalsky’s impatience is evident, especially with prospects. He regularly shuffles his line combinations, even when the team is winning. Sometimes, it feels like a single bad shift is all it takes for Kowalsky to interfere. This chaos creates adversity for any forward, but especially for a 22-year-old like DuFour. There’s no opportunity to get settled. Players are constantly paired with different teammates, making it difficult to establish chemistry when lines change every period. In Kowalsky’s defense, DuFour hasn’t given him a reason to play him, so he doesn’t.

More recently, DuFour has either fallen to the fourth line or been scratched entirely. He didn’t re-enter the B-Isles lineup until forward Julien Gauthier suffered an injury. DuFour needs to start making a bigger impact and give Kowalsky no choice but to play him. Kowalsky may be frustrating, but he’s not a fool. If you make plays, you’ll keep playing, and for DuFour, in the final year of his entry-level contract (ELC), he needs to make more plays.

Bridgeport Lines vs Belleville 11/30:

Karlstrom-Gill-Maggio
Foudy-Bardreau-Gatcomb
Terry-Pinho-Jefferies
Liukas-Thompson-Dufour

Odelius-Fulp
Bolduc-Mitchell
Helgeson-Newpower

Hogberg
Skarek

scratches: Gauthier, Thiesing, Warren, Mcdonald, Krygier

— not a burner account (@notaburneraccou) December 1, 2024

DuFour’s size makes him a good candidate for a fourth-line role on an NHL team. He remains unafraid to throw his body around, including on the forecheck. In that sense, he’s reminiscent of someone like Matt Martin or Cal Clutterbuck. The problem is that the Islanders already have an excess of NHL players who fit that exact same mold. The NHL club has shown no interest in moving on from fourth-line veterans Martin and Casey Cizikas, despite evidence suggesting they should do the opposite. He may make a good grinder one day, but the Isles aren’t in the market for a grinder.

Dufour’s path to an NHL role is becoming increasingly uncertain. Despite his promising start in the AHL, his declining production and the Islanders’ already full roster of similar role players make his future look bleak unless he can quickly rediscover his scoring touch or find a way to carve out a niche as a reliable grinder. With his entry-level contract nearing its end, DuFour has little time left to prove he can contribute at a higher level. The pressure is on, and his next steps could determine whether he gets another shot at the NHL or fades into AHL obscurity.

featured image courtesy of the Bridgeport Islanders

Joey McAuliffe

Joey McAuliffe is a passionate Islander fan pursuing a Masters of Accounting in Buffalo, NY. His favorite player of all time is Jordan Eberle. He has followed the team closely since 2014, but he began regularly attending games during the 2006 season. Outside of hockey, Joey loves music and the Buffalo Bills.