New York Islanders‘ 4th year restricted free agent defenseman Adam Pelech(50) gets a 4-year one-way extension after playing a career high 44 games scoring his first 3 NHL goals and 7 assists for 10 points with a -5 rating.
The fairly large blue liner also was sidelined with an upper body injury for a significant amount of time for a 2nd straight season.
He started 2016/2017 with affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers but was recalled after the first month, returning only on a conditioning reassignment.
The soon-to-be 23-year old is looked at as a strong piece of the future for a young club.
Adam Pelech (50)
New York Islanders‘ 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft (#65 overall) 2nd year defenseman Adam Pelech(50) has been consistently putting in the hard work to get noticed since he arrived on the pro scene with affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
On the second worst team in the AHL last season he managed to record 11 assists and owned only a -3 rating, while landing at least one shot on net in each contest.
This season the unassumingly large 6’3″ 210 lbs. blue liner already has his first two goals and a pair of assists in 11 games with a team defense leading +9 plus/minus.
In his NHL debut he skated 17 shifts for 13:19 of ice time and left the 4-1 win with a +1, 1 shot, 2 hits, 1 breakup and :13 on the power play.
There’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to put up some offensive numbers, especially helpers like he did in four campaigns with Erie Otters of the OHL.
The recently just turned 21-year old was a healthy scratch for his second game but there’s very little doubt with the current news surrounding the Isles‘ defensive core he’ll work his way into the lineup and may even never look back.