The Oshawa pipeline to the NHL remains strong, as the New York Islanders have selected forward prospect Michael Dal Colle with the No. 5 pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
NHL Draft 2014: New York Islanders select Michael Dal Colle with No. 5 overall pick
The Oshawa pipeline to the NHL remains strong, as the New York Islanders have selected forward prospect Michael Dal Colle with the No. 5 pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Claus Andersen
Dal Colle, 17, has spent the last two seasons with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League and had the benefit of playing alongside Boone Jenner (selected No. 37 overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2011) and Tyler Biggs (No. 22 overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011). The result was inflated totals for Dal Colle, as the left-handed shooting center registered 95 points (39 goals and 56 assists) in 67 games, which nearly doubled his 48 point total from the year before.
In addition to his time in Oshawa, Dal Colle has represented Canada on multiple occasions, appearing on the U17 World Championship team in 2012-13, as well as the U18 team at the 2013-14 Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Listed at 6’2, 172 lbs, the physical upside of Dal Colle is a characteristic that displays a great deal of promise, via the ISS:
Dal Colle may not have a huge frame but he is strong on his skates and has a low center of gravity. Dal Colle continues to evolve into a top offensive threat. A strong 95 point campaign this season for Oshawa cemented his status as one of the top shelf players overall for this year’s draft. He shows high level vision with the puck as well as a pro shot release, which helped him net 39 goals this season. He uses his strength well and can beat people one on one. His combination of size, skill, and smarts are hard to match in any other prospect in this year’s draft Dal Colle came into this season with high expectations and consistently showed the type of game that warrants a top 5 pick.
Dal Colle finished the season ranked fifth amongst North American skaters by the ISS.
See More:
