Islanders Prospect Report: Dec. 4, 2023

Welcome to the Islanders Prospect Report, a weekly roundup of the Islanders' junior, collegiate and European prospects. Visit our In the System page for more prospect content.

Here are this week's updates on Islanders prospects: 

JEFFERIES NAMED PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Alex Jefferies was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for the second time of his career on Thursday, garnering conference recognition for a solid performance throughout the month of November.

The Islanders’ 2020 fourth-round pick (121st overall) picked up 13 points (7G, 6A) for Merrimack through eight games, including a hat trick on Nov. 10. Jefferies recorded four multi-point games and his 13 points ranked second in the NCAA, while his 33 shots on goal ranked fifth in November. 

He was named Hockey East Player of the Month for the first time of his career (Dec. 2022) last season. 

The 22-year-old winger hammered home his eighth goal of the season on Saturday to give Merrimack a 2-1 advantage, but they ultimately dropped the contest 5-2 at Boston University.

LJUNGKRANTZ NETS FOUR GOALS  

Alexander Ljungkrantz had a dominant week for Almtuna IS with four goals – including two that held as game-winners – to capture the team lead in scoring. 

The 21-year-old winger scored to take a 2-0 advantage against the Vasterviks IK and found the back of the net again at 10:22 of the final frame in Wednesday’s 5-3 result.  

The Islanders 2020 third-round pick (90th overall) stayed hot, burying the overtime winner in Friday’s 6-5 OT win against the Birch Leaves, while also contributing a goal in regulation.

He leads the team in goals (14) and game-winners (5), while his 17 points is tied for the team lead.

BERG NAMED NCHC FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Cameron Berg had a scorching hot weekend for North Dakota with four points (3G, 1A) in his last two games, earning him important recognition as he was named NCHC Forward of the Week on Monday evening. 

His performance in Friday’s 7-5 win over Denver helped fuel a comeback. Down 4-2 in the second period, Berg blasted a shot from the right circle on the power play to pull within one.

North Dakota broke out with four unanswered goals, as Berg scored to ice the game 7-5 at the 16:52 mark.

The Islanders 2021 fourth-round pick (125th overall) continued his offensive streak by opening the scoring on Saturday and recording a helper on the goal that put North Dakota ahead 2-1, but Denver scored to force overtime and came out on top in the extra frame to win 3-2. 

The 21-year-old center is now playing at a point-per-game pace, with 16 points (7G, 9A) in 16 games this season. His 16 points ranks second on the team. 

STATS 

CHL:  

Isaiah George | London (OHL) | 26GP, 3G, 5A, 8P, 15PIM  

Justin Gill | Drakkar de Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) | 27GP, 15G, 29A, 44P, 28PIM  

Liiga: 

Aleksi Malinen | JYP | 15GP, 0G, 2A, 2P, 0PIM  

Jesse Nurmi | Kookoo | 14GP, 0G, 1A, 1P, 0PIM  

Matias Rajaniemi | SaiPa | 21GP, 0G, 1A, 1P, 2PIM  

Allsvenskan:  

Dennis Good Bogg | AIK | 3GP, 0G, 0A, 0P, 0PIM  

Alexander Ljungkrantz | Almtuna IS | 20GP, 14G, 3A, 17P, 4PIM  

Calle Odelius | Djurgardens IF | 10GP, 0G, 4A, 4P, 2PIM  

USHL:  

Tomas Machu | Youngstown | 21GP, 0G, 4A, 4P, 28PIM  

NCAA:  

Cameron Berg | North Dakota (NCHC) | 16GP, 7G, 9A, 16P, 2PIM  

Quinn Finley | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 16GP, 4G, 2A, 6P, 4PIM  

Alex Jefferies | Merrimack (Hockey East) | 10GP, 8G, 6A, 14P, 0PIM  

Danny Nelson | Notre Dame (Big Ten) | 16GP, 3G, 11A, 14P, 12PIM  

Zachary Schulz | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 10GP, 1G, 1A, 2P, 2PIM