IBO Boxing Honesty and Integrity
Gone are the days of being hailed to as a bust for Michael Dal Colle, the 2015 fifth overall pick has been torching the AHL, and now looks ready to make his mark on the NHL.
22 year old Michael Dal Colle has been on another level in Bridgeport this season. In 25 games, Dal Colle has scored 16 goals along with nine helpers to give him an even 25 points, which is a point per game average. During that stretch, Dal Colle scored on six straight shots during a three game span, and added another goal in his next game, giving him seven goals in his last four contests.
Dal Colle has come a long way this season, already doubling his goal total from last year, a measly seven in 60 games, and already passed his previous year’s point total of 24 with his goal in the Sound Tiger’s 6-1 win against the Charlotte Checkers last night.
Dal Colle’s big leap took him from an after thought in the Islanders organization into another one of the Isles premier prospects, and although he got limited opportunities at the NHL over the past two seasons, going pointless in six career games, including two games this year, I think he looks poised to compete for a spot on the NHL roster.
Even after the call-up of Josh Ho-Sang, who was chosen over Dal Colle to be promoted to the Islanders roster following and injury to Tom Kuhnhackl I’ve noticed one glaring issue on the Islanders power play that Michael Dal Colle could easily fix, its lack of shooters. Although the power play has picked it up recently, the Islanders went an entire month, spanning from their 7-5 win against the New York Rangers on November 15th to their 4-3 shootout win against the Detroit Red Wings on December 15th, without scoring a single goal with a 5 on 4 man advantage.
The one thing the power play units would never do is shoot. Every time that unit trotted onto the ice, it was always a group of pass first guys cycling the puck around, trying to find Ryan Pulock or Johnny Boychuck, and the opposing penalty kill would always expect the shot to come from the point and in turn, easily defend it.
Injecting Michael Dal Colle into that power play would add something this Isles team desperately needs, a forward that can shoot the puck. Adding that element to the Islanders can open up much more than what their current units offer, and Dal Colle seems to be the perfect fit.
Dal Colle could also help the Islanders add more goals to the score sheet, as the Islanders have had trouble finding ways to produce offense throughout the month of December, so adding a guy like him, who’s been producing numbers like crazy in Bridgeport could definitely help inject some life into a half-dead Islanders offense.
Although it’s hard to tell who’s spot Michael Dal Colle will take in an Islanders forward core that has no clear holes, it is still notable that he is looking ready to burst onto the NHL scene when he gets the chance, and once he does, he will surely shed that bust label that has been placed on him.