• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
New York Islanders
Islanders History

Islanders Should Be Thankful for These Recent Draft Picks

By Jonathan Amatulli November 24th, 2020

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Although NHL scouts work extensively year-round to find the top talent in each draft, there is no guarantee that any player will be successful. Every year, there are lottery picks that don’t quite live up to the hype, as well as some late-round steals that put their team ahead of the pack.

The New York Islanders have had plenty of both in their history. However, since so much attention is placed on the near-misses, here’s a look at a few times the Islanders lucked out in the entry draft.

Mathew Barzal

Drafted: 2015, Round 1, Pick 16

Barzal may not be a late-round steal, but the value the Islanders got for their franchise player is tremendous given his draft position. The 2015 NHL Entry Draft was one of the deepest and most talented the league has ever seen, and getting Barzal at no. 16 was one of the best selections in the first round. The Islanders’ leading scorer would be a near-lock for the top ten in a redraft, so having him fall to 16 worked out for everyone.

Barzal didn’t have a full-time role with the Islanders until the 2017-18 season, but once he arrived, he made an impact. He led the team in scoring in each of his first three seasons, including his Calder Trophy-winning rookie campaign.

Mathew Barzal New York Islanders
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The real value of this pick is found in what Islanders management did leading up to it. The 16th overall selection was acquired by trading underwhelming defenseman Griffin Reinhart who recorded only two points in his NHL career after being drafted fourth overall by the organization. The team should also be thanking Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney for not using one of his three consecutive picks on the former Seattle Thunderbirds captain before the Islanders reached the podium.

Adam Pelech

Drafted: 2012, Round 3, Pick 65

While his development took a little longer than others drafted that year, Pelech has turned into one of the better players to come out of the 2012 Draft. The class was heavy on defensemen, who were selected with eight of the first ten picks, but finding the shutdown defenseman in the third round was tremendously valuable. He has made great strides in the past two seasons under Barry Trotz and has solidified his role as a top-pairing blueliner at the NHL level. Pelech is in for a substantial pay raise when he becomes a restricted free agent after this season.

Related: New York Islanders’ 3 Best Contracts for 2021

The real benefit of this pick was to make up for selecting Reinhart fourth overall in the same draft. The team was hoping for a top defenseman, and although Reinhart didn’t quite pan out, the Islanders found another one. Despite that Reinhart never reached his NHL potential, trading him for the Barzal pick as well as the emergence of Pelech has made it worthwhile.

Sebastian Aho

Drafted: 2017, Round 5, Pick 139

Although not as well-known as his Carolina Hurricanes namesake, the Islanders’ Aho was terrific value at his draft position. His only NHL experience came in the 2017-18 season when he was called up for 22 games. He had an impressive stint, recording a goal and four points before being returned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers where he has established himself as a terrific two-way defender, earning three consecutive AHL All-Star Selections.

Sebastian Aho New York Islanders
Sebastian Aho, New York Islanders (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Because he was one of the oldest players in his draft, Aho has more NHL experience than others who were also selected late in his class. He is the only player chosen after the fourth round to record multiple points in the NHL. While many of these players are still young and developing, Aho’s ability to play meaningful games so early has provided the team with great value. Still only 24, and with some members of the Isles’ defense core getting older, there will be plenty of opportunities ahead of him.

More Work to Do

While these three picks have worked out to this point, many have not. Garth Snow’s tenure as Islanders general manager was plagued by missed chances and imagining what could have been with more insight and a little bit of luck. While these three selections put a positive spin on the organization’s drafting ability, their overall draft success could have been better.

The Islanders’ prospect pool is not nearly as deep as some of its rivals which makes the team’s competitive window unclear. Several prospects are almost ready to take the next step, but there could have been more if the team had more draft picks work out. Fans are hoping that Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello has more tricks up his sleeve to keep the team competitive for the foreseeable future.


Sign up for our regular 'Islanders Newsletter' for all the latest.

  • Tags
  • Adam Pelech
  • Mathew Barzal
  • Sebastian Aho
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 25th 6:30 PM
Archives

San Jose Sharks Coaching History

Jan 25th 6:15 PM
Fantasy

4 Bounceback Candidates for the 2020-21 Fantasy Hockey Season

Jan 25th 6:13 PM
Archives

Blackhawks & Chelios: Together Again

Jan 25th 5:50 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Power-Play Strategy: A Wayne Simmonds’ Net-Front Statue

Jan 25th 5:40 PM
Ottawa Senators

Senators Loading Up Top Line Is a Mistake

Jan 25th 5:30 PM
Buffalo Sabres

3 Sabres Takeaways From Shootout Win Over the Capitals

Jan 25th 5:03 PM
Archives

Edmonton Oilers Jersey History

Jan 25th 4:25 PM
Column

NHL Players of the Week: Kopitar, Varlamov & More

Jan 25th 4:15 PM
Editor's Choice

A Look Back: Grading the Canes’ 2014 Draft Class

Jan 25th 3:45 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Weekly: Injuries, Milestones and Armstrong

Editor’s Picks
2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

Wayne Gretzky Almost Joined the Detroit Red Wings

Wayne Gretzky Almost Joined the Detroit Red Wings

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information