The New York Islanders’ 2014 first-round pick, Michael Dal Colle, has officially moved on from the NHL. The 29-year-old winger signed a two-year contract with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, marking the latest chapter in a career that never quite lived up to its draft-day expectations.
Dal Colle, selected fifth overall by the Islanders, was once projected as a top-line winger. Instead, he totaled just 21 points in 112 NHL games before his time with the organization ended after the 2021-22 season. His final year in North America saw him appear in one NHL game and 39 with Bridgeport, where he posted nine goals and 13 assists.
From there, Dal Colle’s career shifted overseas. In 2022-23, he joined TPS Turku of Finland’s Liiga, recording 19 points in 36 games. He then found his stride with Germany’s Iserlohn Roosters in the DEL, tallying 83 points (29 goals, 54 assists) in 97 games across two seasons. That success helped earn him his current deal in the KHL, where he’ll face a new challenge with Dinamo Minsk.
For Islanders fans, Dal Colle will always be remembered as one of the more painful draft misses of the 2010s, selected ahead of players like David Pastrňák and Dylan Larkin. While he didn’t become the offensive cornerstone the team envisioned, Dal Colle has managed to build a productive career in Europe, reinventing himself as a reliable scorer abroad.
Though his NHL chapter is closed, his journey underscores the unpredictable nature of player development — and the lasting impact of draft-day decisions.