The New York Islanders have announced the signings of two college free agents to two-year entry-level deals beginning in the 2023-24 campaign: Aidan Fulp and Travis Mitchell.
The first of these two signings, Fulp, adds a big defensive defenseman to the Islanders’ system. Six-foot-four, 215-pound right-shot defensemen don’t grow on trees, and those unreachable physical attributes alone make him an intriguing player for Islanders fans to track.
The 23-year-old, a top-four defenseman for Western Michigan, has an edge to his game and is an intimidating presence in his own zone, playing the sort of chance-killing style that many coaches have come to appreciate.
While there’s not much of an offensive game to speak of (he scored 39 points in 97 career games at Western Michigan) Fulp brings some leadership value to the table as well, having served as an alternate captain in college and as the captain of the Dubuque Fighting Saints during his time in the USHL.
He even won the Curt Hammer Award as a USHLer, an award given to the “player that distinguishes himself both on and off the ice by demonstrating outstanding performance skills, pride and determination.”
The second player the Islanders signed, Mitchell, is like Fulp a big stay-at-home defenseman. The 23-year-old Cornell University product scored 19 points in 34 games this season and earned this entry-level contract on the back of a pro-ready defensive game.
He’ll be able to hold his own in a more difficult professional setting and should be a solid addition to the Islanders’ defensive equation with their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, next season.
These two free-agent additions represent a useful injection of young talent to what is generally seen as a weak prospect pool. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked the Islanders’ farm system #27 in the NHL earlier this year, (subscription link) and that came before the Islanders dealt away top-ranked prospect Aatu Raty.
With only three blueliners in the Islanders’ top-10 prospects as ranked by Wheeler, adding these two NCAA free agents to their system is a strong, needed bit of business by GM Lou Lamoriello.