Islanders In Prime Spot To Steal Skilled Skater Again At NHL Draft
History shows top NHL Draft prospects slide every year. Could the Islanders capitalize again with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft?
BUFFALO, NY — Tonight is the 2026 NHL Draft, where the New York Islanders will select 13th overall and add another quality player to their ever-growing prospect pipeline.
While I commend the great work done by prospect analysts, predicting how the draft unfolds after the top two picks is very much a guessing game.
That’s because some players inevitably fall deeper than expected, while others come off the board earlier than anticipated.
It happens every year, and the Islanders have been one of the teams to capitalize on those slides.
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In May 2024, former Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello traded the 18th and 50th overall picks to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 20th overall pick and two second-round picks (No. 54 and No. 61).
With the 20th overall pick, the Islanders selected sharpshooter Cole Eiserman, a player many projected to go somewhere in the top 10.
In 2025, after selecting Matthew Schaefer first overall, first-year general manager Mathieu Darche selected Victor Eklund at No. 16 and Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17.
Eklund was expected to be a top-10 pick, while Aitcheson wasn’t far behind on many draft boards.
There are different reasons why players fall.
Eiserman slipped because some teams viewed him as a one-trick pony. Eklund fell because it’s a copycat league and teams prioritized size in 2025, something Eklund doesn’t possess at 5-foot-11 and 177 pounds.
Aitcheson fell because some scouts believed the physical defenseman had a high floor but a lower ceiling, largely because his skating needed refinement.
While none of those three players have established themselves at the NHL level yet, the early returns have been encouraging. Eklund impressed during his NHL debut, Aitcheson was named OHL Defenseman of the Year, and Eiserman continues to develop his two-way game after leaving Boston University following his sophomore season.
Although no two mock drafts seem to be the same, the names in the top 10 have remained fairly consistent as we approach draft night.
Here’s my pal Rachel Kryshak’s ESPN Mock Draft:
Gavin McKenna, LW: Toronto
Ivan Stenberg, LW: San Jose
Chase Reid, RHD: Vancouver
Caleb Malhotra, C: Chicago
Alberts Smits, LHD: New York Rangers
Carson Carels, LHD: Calgary
Daxon Rudolph, RHD: Seattle
Viggio Bjorck, C/RW: Winnipeg
Keaton Verhoeff, RHD: San Jose
Ethan Belchetz, LW: Nashville
If you’re the Islanders and anyone from that group is still available at No. 13, you take them. It’s that simple.
The player I’m watching most closely is Keaton Verhoeff. At one point, he was viewed as a potential first-overall pick before the pendulum swung. I still think he’s underrated by much of the public scouting community and would be shocked if he fell to the Islanders, but, hey, you never know.
After No. 10, however, the draft becomes much less predictable.
That’s where the Islanders’ draft board really comes into play.
Ahead of the Islanders at No. 11 are the St. Louis Blues and the New Jersey Devils.
Could St. Louis take left-hand defenseman Malte Gustafsson while the Devils select right winger Wyatt Cullen, who is a die-hard Jack Hughes fan?
The Islanders could then select the following names:
Tynan Lawrence, C
Oscar Hemming, RW
J.P. Hurlbert, LW
Ryan Lin, RHD
Alexander Command, C
There’s added pressure for the Islanders to maximize the value of the 13th pick because they don’t select again until the fourth round at No. 109.
As I mentioned yesterday, the Islanders could follow the blueprint Lamoriello used in 2024 by trading back later in the first round and acquiring a second-round pick.
That strategy only makes sense if they’re confident one of their targeted players will still be available.
Ryan Lin is one player who fits that scenario.
You’ve heard the phrase “best player available,” but that’s subjective because every team values players differently.
If the Islanders are able to land the player they view as the best available and that player happens to slide outside the top 10 or 12, that’s simply an added bonus.
Of course, a player falling on draft night doesn’t automatically mean he’ll become an NHL star.
That’s where development becomes critical.
One reason Lamoriello felt comfortable selecting Eiserman was that he knew the winger would be playing for Jay Pandolfo at Boston University. Having drafted Pandolfo 32nd overall in 1993 with the New Jersey Devils, Lamoriello trusted him to help round out Eiserman’s game.
There are still questions about whether Eiserman’s game away from the puck will translate consistently at the NHL level, but the Islanders believe his development is trending in the right direction.
Aitcheson has already made noticeable strides. His skating has improved dramatically since his first development camp, but this season will present an entirely new challenge as he adjusts to playing against professional competition for the first time.
Perhaps the most encouraging example is Eklund. His experience playing against men in the SHL accelerated his development before he even arrived in Bridgeport. While he has a legitimate opportunity to make the Islanders out of training camp, he’s still a young player with areas of his game that will continue to develop.
Now it’s up to Hamilton Hammers head coach Jay McKee, Director of Player Development Pascal Dupuis, and the rest of the organization’s development staff to help this next wave of prospects reach their full potential.
Whether the Islanders stay at No. 13 or trade back later in the first round, making the right selection is only the beginning.
Developing that player into an NHL contributor is what ultimately determines whether draft night is remembered as a success.
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