Meet the Islanders' 5 picks from the 2026 NHL Draft
Islanders star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, right, stands next to Malte Gustafsson of Sweden, who was drafted by the Islanders with the 13th overall pick on Friday night in Buffalo. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
First round
No. 13: Malte Gustafsson, D, 6-4, 203 (HV71 Jonkoping/Sweden). An elite skater who uses his big body to be a shutdown defenseman, particularly against the rush. He was able to log regular minutes after being called up to Sweden’s top league last season despite being just 17. He will remain in Sweden next season.
Fourth round
No. 109: Lincoln Kuehne, D, 6-2, 210 (Arizona State/NCAA). The right-shooting Kuehne from West Fargo, North Dakota had a goal and an assist in 28 games with Arizona State as the second-youngest defensemen (18) playing NCAA hockey. He is a strong skating, defensive-minded defenseman with an NHL-sized body who also spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Fifth round
No. 141: Vladimir Dravecky, D, 5-11, 192 (Brantford/OHL). The right-shooting Dravecky, born in Manchester, New Hampshire, was recently traded to Guelph in the Ontario Hockey League, which has an automatic berth to the next Memorial Cup as its host. He’s played internationally for Czechia and also in Slovakia and Sweden. He’s a strong skater with offensive skill who notched nine goals and 19 assists in 58 OHL games last season.
Sixth round
No. 173: Artyom Matyuk, C, 6-0, 165 (Nizhny Novgorod Chaika/Russia-MHL). The left-shooting playmaker is a strong skater and puckhandler who is particularly good at creating passing lanes.
Seventh round
No. 205: Robert Cowan, RW, 5-11, 176 (Western Michigan/NCAA). Cowan is from Edina, Minnesota, the same hometown as current Islanders captain Anders Lee, an unrestricted free agent. He projects as a depth forward but with a strong work ethic and hockey IQ after notching five goals and 19 assists in 39 games as a freshman.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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