Healthy Laurila builds momentum at Islanders development camp

Sam Laurila finally skated at New York Islanders development camp with no rehab limits hanging over him, giving the 6-foot, 187-pound defenseman his first fully healthy look in front of the organization. After missing on-ice work at last summer’s camp, the Moorhead, Minnesota native came in with his first NCAA season behind him and a clearer chance to build momentum as a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

That matters because this is the first setting where the Islanders can judge Laurila on the hockey, not the injury file. At a camp that included 20 forwards, 14 defensemen and four goaltenders, the checklist for a young USHL-bred defenseman is basic but demanding: skate well enough to stay in position, process defensive reads quickly, and show pro habits every shift. For Laurila, that meant turning a healthy week into a baseline the staff can actually use.

His junior path gives that evaluation real context. North Dakota’s roster listed Laurila as a player who spent two seasons in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program before moving on to Fargo in the USHL, while Elite Prospects lists him as a 2024 USHL Entry Draft pick of the Sioux City Musketeers, 20th overall, before a later move to the Force. That route through Plymouth, Michigan, Sioux City and Fargo is exactly the kind of background that prepares a defenseman for a camp like this one.

Laurila’s USHL production backed up the scouting file. He tied for Fargo’s team lead with 41 points in 57 games in 2024-25, finishing with eight goals and 33 assists. Among USHL defensemen, he finished tied for fourth in both points and assists, and the league named him one of three finalists for Defenseman of the Year in April. In early November 2024, the USHL also picked him as its Defenseman of the Week after he led league defensemen for the week with three points, including one goal and two assists.

The international résumé is just as sturdy. The NTDP says Laurila and teammate EJ Emery won the World U17 Hockey Challenge and earned silver at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. That history, plus a healthy camp and a full NCAA season, gives the Islanders a cleaner read on where Laurila stands now and how much more he can still add.