Top Prospect Signings (Aug 13)

The New York Islanders have signed one of their 1st round picks from June's entry draft, defenseman Noah Dobson.  Dobson was taken with the 12th overall pick after helping lead the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to their Memorial Cup title in the spring.  The 18-year old has had quite the junior career, so far, registering 95 career points in 130 regular season games, and he was widely regarded to be one of the top players in his draft class, as a mobile puck-moving defender.

It will be interesting to see how he fares in training camp with the Islanders, as there are a couple of bubble spots that are up for grabs on their blueline.  I would imagine that if he can't crack the top six, he'll head back to junior for another year.

The Islanders were not the only team signing a top prospect, as the Ottawa Senators have convinced their top pick, Brady Tkachuk, the 4th overall selection, to forego college and turn pro right away.  On Monday, they made it official with the 3-year entry-level deal signed and he will participate in training camp in September.

Much like the Islanders above, the Senators have plenty of bubble players at the forward position, so a spot on the roster should be ripe for the picking for the 18-year old.  If he doesn't make the roster out of the gates, he'll likely head to London in the OHL, where his rights are.