With the Islanders on Olympic break I thought it would be a great time to check in on some of the prospects in the Islander organization. Today we focus on 2013 first round pick Ryan Pulock. The offensive defenseman with a cannon shot is having a great season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League where he has sixteen goals and thirty assists which equals forty six points in fifty one games.

I had the chance to catch up with Ryan and see how he has progressed since being the Islanders' number one pick over the past summer. After being drafted the time through training camp is hectic one for a young player. I asked Pulock if there was a feeling out period when he returned to the Wheat Kings. “There was a bit of an adjustment, but it was an advantage to me, guys at the NHL level are stronger, faster and smarter so going back to juniors it allowed me to have a step on guys because I was used to the higher level.”

With his Wheat Kings only one point out of first place in the WHL East Division Ryan is seeing his share of minutes which gives him a chance to continue to hone his game. “I feel my game is progressing, being harder on guys in the d-zone and making smarter reads, there is still room for improvement and that's what I'm going to keep working on to get to the next level.”

Pulock’s offensive ability is off the chart; many scouts believe that he has the most offensive upside of any dman taken in the 2013 draft which includes names like Seth Jones and Josh Morrissey. However to make it to the NHL and be successful Ryan knows that he must shine in the defensive end as well. “I need to keep working on being a really solid defender, the offensive part of my game is there and I need to keep working to be a solid two way player.”

A two way mobile defenseman is in high demand in the NHL and if Pulock continues to progress you may see him lighting the lamp with that 100 mph slap shot on Long Island sooner rather than later. I asked Pulock if the experience of this season’s training camp will help come October 2014. “It will for sure make me more comfortable in all areas, I know what to expect on the ice, I know the people in the organization, so I will have no worries coming into camp and I will be able to strictly focus on my game.”

When you watch Pulock play, you see a kid who wants to get better. There is always something that he feels he can get improve on. Pulock might need more time developing but I would expect you will see a kid who comes into next season's training camp and will stand out. Will he be NHL ready? That may be too early to tell but I expect you will see a high quality NHL hockey player in the near future wearing blue and orange. As always for more on all things hockey please follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @DanDanNoodles78.

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