Islanders Could Give Themselves Even More Options at Draft After Savvy Trade

This offseason needs to be a busy one for the franchise.

It’s not every year that the New York Islanders find themselves with the luxury of draft picks. They also haven’t had a first-round selection since picking Simon Holmstrom at 23rd overall in 2019.

But that might change for the 2024 NHL draft. Thanks to a savvy trade by general manager and president Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders have picked up an extra second-round pick. The only expense it came at was moving back two spots in the first and four in the next round. Give credit where it’s due – that’s great asset management in this case by Lamoriello. Keeping their first-round pick will be a good opportunity for the organization to provide a much-needed boost to a weak prospect pool.

As things stand, the Islanders are projected to pick 20th, 54th, and 61st early on. They also have their own fourth, fifth, and sixth-round picks this year.

Patrick Roy, New York Islanders (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The picks will give the organization options. They could use them to draft prospects in June or they could be traded to improve the roster.

Make the Picks

For scenario one, let’s say the Islanders plan to make all the selections currently owned, and the scouting staff identifies players they really like.