Islanders' Jesse Pulkkinen: Upside play for Isles in Round 2

Pulkkinen was the 54th overall pick by the Islanders in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

On the strength of notable advancements in his offensive game, Pulkkinen, who was passed over in the 2023 Draft, showed enough promise this past season to make himself a second-round selection just a year later. For starters, Pulkkinen is massive. At 6-foot-6, he's not a true bruiser, but is excellent at using his long reach to break up plays. His puck-handling abilities have really improved, and he has the big point shot you often associate with rearguards this size. Set to turn 20 years of age in December, Pulkkinen is nearly two years older than some of the first-year eligible players in this draft, and that has to be taken into consideration, but the fact the Islanders were willing to pull the trigger on him at this stage suggests they're more than content at where is development is at heading into the 2024-25 campaign.