Marc Gatcomb signs entry-level contract with New York Islanders

Former UConn forward Marc Gatcomb signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders, the first NHL deal of his career. He’d been with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks since graduating in 2022.

It’s a two-way contract, so Gatcomb will be paid $775K in the NHL or $125k in the AHL. As a depth signing, he’ll likely be assigned to the Bridgeport Islanders.

Through 142 career games in the AHL, the Woburn, MA native has recorded 20 goals and 29 assists. This past year, he set new single-season highs with nine goals and 11 assists in 61 games. It was was also the first campaign where he wasn’t sent down to the ECHL for any stretch.

Gatcomb will likely be reunited with former UConn teammate Wyatt Newpower in Bridgeport, who signed an AHL deal with the team last week. Newpower had been with the Grand Rapid Griffins, AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, for the last three seasons.

Through four years in the pros, Newpower has established himself as a steady defensive defenseman. He’s never recorded more than 10 points in a single season, but has only finished with a negative +/- once. This past year, Newpower put up one goal and six assists in just 37 games with the Griffins.

While two former Huskies are heading to Bridgeport, another is leaving. According to a Russian outlet, Ruslan Iskhakov is expected to sign with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow for the upcoming season after spending the last two years with the Bridgeport Islanders.

Despite being a two-time AHL All-Star with 101 points in 168 career games at the level, Iskhakov hasn’t gotten much of a look from the NHL Islanders. Although he made his debut in the league during the team’s regular season finale and recorded his first point, his decision to return to Russia suggests that he expects to be stuck in Bridgeport for another year.

Iskhakov is currently a restricted free agent, so if another team tried to sign him, the Islanders would have the right to match it and if not, they would receive draft compensation. That would’ve made it difficult for the forward to jump to another organization.

The KHL is now set to have four former Huskies next season: Iskhakov, Max Letunov, Vladislav Firstov and Adam Huska.