Islanders Sign Niederreiter

It looks like its a good day to sign 1st round draft picks. The Islanders have joined the parade of entry-level contracts by signing their 5th overall pick in 2010, Nino Niederreiter, to a new 3-year deal on Tuesday. At the time of posting this, there wasn't any cap or salary numbers disclosed.

Niederreiter has apparently done plenty to help himself secure a spot in the Islanders line-up and is likely only a couple weeks away from making that official, now that he has a contract signed & sealed.

Niederreiter was drafted 5th overall out of the Portland Winterhawks organization in the WHL, where he played one year, scoring 36 goals and 24 assists in 65 games in the regular season, 8 goals and 8 assists in 13 playoff games.  The flashy forward has been getting some good reviews through rookie camp and the early part of training camp, which suggests he's drawing closer and closer to the opening night line-up.

Well, since he was the only other player in the top five I got correct in my mock entry draft this Summer, I have kind of taken a shining to him and might go after him in the pool this year. I thought his flash and dash style would compliment some of the other young Islanders players on the team and the team's management seems to agree.  Since he is such a young pick, he also doesn't appear in many of the publications, although Dobber's publication did at least give him the 9-game rookie tryout, where he is projected to have 3 points.

With the lack of depth in the Islanders line-up, I have a feeling that he will be good for the whole season and should be good for 30 points at the very least.