Michael Dal Colle Added to Islanders Taxi Squad

The New York Islanders added two more players to the taxi squad in Michael Dal Colle and Austin Czarnik. For Dal Colle, the former fifth overall pick from the 2014 NHL Draft, this is his first call up on the season.

He's played just eight games in the AHL but has put up some solid production with six points (4 goals, 2 assists). He spent the previous three years in and out of the lineup for the Islanders with 2019-2020 being the most playing time he received, 53 games.

In that season he had 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) with getting 11:48 of ice time. Over the course of four seasons, Dal Colle has 111 games under his belt with 21 points and eight goals. Production was never his thing at the NHL level.

The reason why Barry Trotz and company liked Dal Colle was his neutral performances. Sure, he wasn't driving play forward but he wasn't doing anything to cost the Islanders in the other end. That's the perfect replacement level kind of player, which is what Dal Colle is.

In a pinch, he can enter the lineup and provide depth if the Islanders need it with the number of COVID cases on the rise once again. Cal Clutterbuck, Oliver Wahlstrom, Anthony Beauvillier, and Zach Parise were added to the list.

With those four regular forwards out, MDC and Czarnik too for that matter, should be candidates to see some action this week. As of right now, the Islanders next game is on Wednesday at UBS Arena against the Detroit Red Wings.

The days of hoping that Dal Colle will turn into an impact NHL regular seem over but he will be fighting to prove that he can have a rotational role with this team going forward.