Islanders’ prospect Collin Adams scores highlight-reel goal

As we wait for the NHL to get its season started, the Islanders and their fans have gotten a chance to see something they’re not used to — the ability to watch the organization’s prospects more up close and see their stock rise.

One of those prospects in particular, Collin Adams, might have taken a nice leap after what he did last night for his North Dakota squad.

In their game against St. Cloud State, the 2016 sixth-rounder scored a highlight-reel goal towards the end of the second period. Adams took a pass from a teammate just as he approached his team’s blue line and then turned on the jets, zooming past four St. Cloud defenders and roofed one short side over the goalie’s shoulder.

The end-to-end tally gave the Fighting Hawks a 3-1 lead on their way to an eventual 4-3 overtime victory.

Adams has quietly climbed up the ranks of the Isles’ prospect pool. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman had him as one of the team’s draft picks in past years who might have NHL potential in his organizational rankings back in April because of his speed and playmaking ability. His career year for the Fighting Hawks in 2019-20 where he recorded 12 goals and 16 assists in 35 games helped with that endorsement.

This season — his senior year — the Brighton, Michigan native has tallied six points in eight games thus far, which slots him sixth on the team. Adams’ teammate, Ottawa Senators prospect Shane Pinto, leads the team with 12 points.

Adams has also seen an uptick in play from the previous season. He’s now on the first power play and has already scored once on the man-advantage.

“It’s nice,” he told the Grand Forks Herald earlier this week. “It’s different. It’s kind of a different look from there. I really hadn’t played too much goal line on the power play before. I’m just trying to do my best and help our power play get scoring opportunities.”

At 22-years-old, Adams might soon be ready to turn pro and maybe make the jump to Bridgeport. But this year was going to be important for him to really take a big step forward. And so far he’s made the most of it.

The goal he scored was proof of that.

Some Isles notes from this week:

-It looks as though the Islanders will get their chance to give the Nassau Coliseum a rightful sendoff. ColoradoHockeyNow’s Adrian Dater — along with NYIHockeyNow’s Christian Arnold — reported that NHL teams will be playing their regular-season home games in their own buildings. Isles Captain Anders Lee expressed his desire to give the Coliseum one last hurrah back in October.

-Another Islanders prospect, Alexander Jefferies, has made quite the impression with his hot start at Merrimack. The 2020 fourth-rounder is currently running at a 1.25 point-per-game pace.

-J.G. Pageau and his wife are officially Long Islanders. The 28-year-old, whom the Isles traded for at the deadline last year and then signed to a long-term extension, and his wife Camille, said goodbye to Ottawa yesterday as they announced their move to New York. Safe to say, they were given quite the welcome on social media throughout the day.

-And last but not least, there was the video of Anthony Beauvillier flying around the ice training with his brother Francis. Man, January 13th can’t get here soon enough.