Rhett Rakhshani caught some bad luck during the preseason and sustained a concussion. This is bad news because his size and durability have been questioned throughout his career. He was competing for a spot with the Islanders when the injury occurred. Due to the injury he has yet to appear in a game so far this season. He is expected to be out for a significant time period. If he can return to form, this diminutive forward can pack a serious scoring punch and has proved everyone wrong his whole career. He has proved himself in the AHL, he just needs to do the same when he gets his chance with the Islanders.
Matt Donovan is another big defensemen with a lot of promise. He had a brief stint with the Tigers last season after finishing a tremendous year at Denver University. In his six games last season he sparked a lot of excitement recording five points in those games. This year he is having a little trouble settling in and getting used to the professional game. There is no doubt he has the size, but he must improve his foot speed to be effective in the NHL. Once he does this, he will become a top six defensemen for the Islanders.
The Islanders do have one high-ranking defensive prospect that is not currently playing at the professional level. That player is Scott Mayfield who is currently a freshman at Denver University. Mayfield is a project, but has a ton of upside. The Islanders were very lucky to have him fall to them in the second round of the 2011 draft. At 6'4 he has great height, but needs to further fill out his 200 pound frame. For his height, he has quick feet and is very mobile. In a few years he could develop into an all-situation, top-four defenseman.
