Prospects ‘played well’ at World Junior tournament: Islanders GM

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Islanders’ annual trip to the Twin Cities came too late to get an up-close and personal look at the World Junior Championship that ended here Monday night with Sweden’s victory over Czechia.

They were, however, paying close attention to the tournament that included five of their prospects: Victor Eklund (Sweden), Kashawn Aitcheson (Canada), Cole Eiserman (USA), Kamil Bednarik (USA) and Tomas Poletin (Czechia).

“Our guys played well,” general manager Mathieu Darche said Thursday before his team lost 2-1 in a shootout to Nashville. “Eklund was the player of the game in the gold medal game. He’s a water bug that scratches and claws his way around the zone.

“Tomas Poletin, who broke my heart with the game-winning goal against Canada [in the semifinals], he played really well, too. Aitcheson, too, on Canada, they dressed seven, eight ‘D,’ so it’s tough on the ice time. But if you look at what he’s doing in Barrie, he’s got 19 goals in [27] games. So he’s been great.”

Eklund is certainly the Islander prospect coming out of the tournament looking the best after notching a goal and assist in the final while playing a key role for Sweden throughout the tournament.

Poletin, a fourth-round pick last summer who’s been averaging a point per game with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, showed out as well with six points in seven games for the Czechs.

If anyone had a disappointing tournament, though, it’s Eiserman, the Isles’ first-round pick in 2024.

After being Team USA’s 13th forward during a gold-medal run last year, the Boston University sophomore figured to get an increased role this time around, but it never came to fruition.

Bednarik, his teammate in college, played a checking role for the Americans, which is in line with what he does at BU and is expected to do in the professional ranks.

“Cole, unfortunately, had an injury early in the season. And he came back and we know what he can do with his shot, he’s an elite shooter,” Darche said. “The U.S. had a deep team, so they moved him up and down the lineup.“… And Bednarik, who has a more supporting role, I thought he played well. He forechecked, he took faceoffs, but we knew they weren’t gonna put him in an offensive situation. That’s not the type of player he is, but I thought he competed. All five of our guys competed hard. Three of them had medals, so I guess it’s a good tournament.”

The Islanders did not hold practice Friday after traveling to Minnesota.