The New York Islanders only have five selections in the upcoming draft and none in the first round, largely because of the Bo Horvat trade. However, this draft is a pivotal one for general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello to both replenish the farm system, which is one of the worst in the NHL and keep the contending window open.
They likely will target the forward position in the second round and possibly with a majority of their selections. The team needs help on the wings and young scorers to add to an aging forward unit while the defense looks set for the upcoming seasons.
Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide
That said, the Islanders could add a defenseman that adds speed, skill, and versatility to the unit. Additionally, Lamoriello can take advantage of a talented defenseman sliding to the second round and select a player that can help the blue line for years to come. This year’s draft is highlighted by the elite scorers, specifically, generational talent Connor Bedard who is expected to go number one overall to the lottery-winning Chicago Blackhawks. Yet, there will be plenty of talented defensemen available as well that can not only make the NHL but become All-Star players.
Maxim Strbak
Maxim Strbak is one of those prospects that does everything well. Playing for the Sioux Fall Stampede in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and the Slovak national team, he showed great instincts and strong two-way play. He also excelled in the defensive zone as he created turnovers and cleaned up pucks near the net while successfully connecting on passes to the blue line. His skill set and size (6-foot-2, weighing 205 pounds) make him arguably the best replacement for Scott Mayfield, who might leave the Islanders this offseason to free agency, making him an ideal target.
The negative when it comes to Strbak is that he doesn’t do anything great. He doesn’t have a high ceiling as a defenseman but instead is a high-floor player, someone that can play on the second or third pair but never take on a top pair role. He could fall to the Islanders and they’ll gladly select a starting-caliber defenseman but ideally, they hope to draft someone who can make the unit elite, especially offensively.
Beau Akey
One of the top prospects from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Beau Akey is a defenseman that has garnered a lot of interest particularly because of his passing. With the Barrie Colts, he consistently got the puck to the blue line and started up the offense, resulting in 36 assists. He also proved that he has a powerful shot, scoring 11 goals last year, and along with his skating ability, he looks poised to be a great defenseman in the modern, faster game. Brent Burns opened up the Carolina Hurricanes’ offense this season with his outlet passes and shot from the point, allowing the team to reach the Eastern Conference Final. Similarly, Akey can add a similar style of play to a team’s defense and the Islanders in particular are looking to add that dimension to their unit.
The issue with Akey is that he’s not great defensively, often displaying the puck or taking a bad angle to opposing skaters. He’ll need time to develop and work on his defensive skills before joining the NHL and as a result, he’s a player that teams must be patient with. Additionally, he’s a smaller skater at 170 pounds, something a lot of teams will be concerned about as he can get pushed around at the pro level.
Luca Cagnoni
Luca Cagnoni has one of the best shots in this draft class. Whether it’s a quick wrister or a slapshot from the blue line, his shot overwhelmed opposing goaltenders in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as he scored 17 goals for the Portland Winterhawks. Aside from the shot, he has rounded out his game to become a great scoring defenseman. His passing allowed him to distribute 47 assists last year and his puck handling allowed him to create shooting lanes and scoring chances for the rest of the skaters on the ice.
The big questions regarding Cagnoni are his size and if he can improve defensively. He’s only 5-foot-10 and weighs 172 pounds, making him a smaller defenseman that can struggle in the more physical NHL and he can oftentimes have difficulty removing a skater from the puck in the defensive zone. The Islanders could select him in the second round with the hopes of landing an elite scoring defenseman, but they’ll have to hope he can step up defensively to join the NHL roster. He can put the defensive unit over the top, especially if he can play alongside Noah Dobson to form a great scoring pair yet if he fails to improve defensively, he’ll remain a liability on the ice.
Tanner Molendyk
Tanner Molendyk is a great skater which is a skill set the Islanders can realistically target as they hope to become a faster defense. He might make a few mistakes defensively but he makes up for them with his speed. He will make a mistake in the neutral zone but recover quickly to create a turnover or break up a scoring chance. An added bonus is that he can handle the puck out of the defensive zone and into the offensive zone, another skill the Islanders desperately need to add to their defense.
While Molendyk fills specific needs for the Islanders, he’s lacking elsewhere. He must improve his positioning to succeed in the NHL. Likewise, the bad angles he takes to skaters with the puck weren’t a big deal in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades but it can be his downfall when he plays against faster, more skilled skaters at the NHL level. He is a project type of player and might be a reach to select in the second round, but the Islanders could draft him with the hope that he ends up becoming a starting-caliber defenseman.
Late Round Defensive Targets
In all likelihood, the Islanders will target a forward with their second-round pick. As a result, the fourth round might be the only time they look to add a defenseman to their prospect pool. Even though the pick will be at the end of the draft, they could find a handful of intriguing prospects in the later rounds.
- Kalem Parker – A great skater who defends the rush well, Parker is coming off an impressive season with the Victoria Royals in the WHL. His defensive instincts have room for improvement but if he slides to the fourth round, he could be a draft steal for the Islanders.
- Quinton Burns – With remarkable defensive instincts, Burns is one of the best OHL draft prospects and has the ability to become an elite defenseman. He’ll likely be selected before the fourth round but the Islanders will eagerly select him with the hopes he can become a valuable second-pair defenseman for years to come.
- Samuel Mayer – A bigger-bodied defenseman at 6-foot-3 and weighing 200 pounds, Mayer is a hard hitter who plays the two-way game well, scoring nine goals and 48 assists with the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. The problem is that he’s one of the older prospects in the draft at 20 years old and doesn’t have as much room to improve as other defensemen in this draft.
The Islanders are a team that doesn’t have a sense of urgency when it comes to addressing their defensive unit. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock fuel the top pairing while Dobson, Sebastian Aho, and Alexander Romanov, who was acquired during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, are three great young skaters. That said, if an elite player is available, Lamoriello won’t pass on the opportunity to select one. An elite two-way defenseman can go a long way and help propel the Islanders to the Stanley Cup and it could be a position they target at some point as a result.
