Samuel Bolduc on the primary day of Islanders coaching camp on the staff’s follow facility in East Meadow on Thursday.
Credit score: Peter Frutkoff
Samuel Bolduc possesses an NHL-sized physique at 6-4, 220 kilos. Studying easy methods to successfully use that huge body is the extremely regarded prospect’s subsequent step as he battles to safe a full-time position with the Islanders.
The 22-year-old figures to get a protracted look in coaching camp to beat out incumbent Sebastian Aho for the sixth defenseman’s spot after enjoying his first 17 NHL video games — plus two within the playoffs — final season.
“There’s all the time an adjustment shifting up,” stated 6-3, 210-pound top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech on Friday after the second day of Islanders camp at Northwell Well being Ice Heart in East Meadow. “I handled it myself shifting up from junior hockey to professional hockey, the place you go from being larger and stronger than everyone, and sooner in his case, to being on the identical stage as lots of these guys.
“You must be extra environment friendly in your use of house or the methods you defend. He’s a man who undoubtedly has all of the instruments. The sky’s the restrict for him. He’ll simply maintain getting higher. It’s customary growth, particularly for a younger defenseman.”
Bolduc, a second-round choose in 2019 getting into his fourth season of professional hockey, spent the offseason at dwelling close to Montreal understanding with Blues defenseman Marco Scandella, who’s 6-3, 212 kilos.
“We simply went on the ice 4, 5 occasions per week and daily within the fitness center with him,” Bolduc stated. “I simply discovered lots of what it takes to play on this league for a very long time.”
Bolduc’s purpose is to make use of his dimension extra successfully in defending whereas additionally getting up ice into the assault and, presumably, incomes a job for his huge blue-line shot on the facility play.
“I nonetheless must be taught a bit of bit extra easy methods to use extra of my physique on the ice,” he stated. “As soon as I get that, I believe I’m going to be fairly laborious to play in opposition to defensively. And these days a lot of the defensemen within the league are leaping into the play on the offensive facet, so I’m going to have to participate in it too.”
The left-shooting Bolduc had two targets and an help final season and performed within the first two video games of the Islanders’ six-game, first-round loss to the Hurricanes whereas paired with Noah Dobson. He logged a complete of simply 13:59 within the two video games earlier than Alexander Romanov returned to the lineup from a shoulder damage.
However any expertise is sweet expertise.
“It offers me a style of what this factor is about and the way I must work,” Bolduc stated. “I nonetheless must show myself that I can play daily on this league.”
Notes & quotes: Heart Jean-Gabriel Pageau (sickness) didn’t follow. Coach Lane Lambert stated he’s day-to-day . . . Proper wing Kyle Palmieri (upkeep), who has been skating on his personal, missed his second day of follow. Lambert stated there was no replace on when he may be capable of skate together with his teammates.