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NHL Draft 2013: New York Islanders Pick Waterloo's Eamon McAdam at #70, Taylor Cammarata at #75

With the pick acquired in the Nino Niederreiter trade, the Isles

Trust me, Cammarata is in there.
Trust me, Cammarata is in there.
Bruce Bennett

The New York Islanders have selected Eamon McAdam with the 70th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.

McAdam, a goalie with Waterloo of the USHL, is bound for Penn State of the NCAA. (He is from Perkasie, Penn.)

He is listed at 6'2" and was ranked as the third-best North American goalie in the draft by the International Scouting Service, the sixth-best North American goalie according to the NHL's Central Scouting.

McAdam steps into the pipeline as the Islanders haven't drafted a goalie since the longshot Cody Rosen in 2010 (now out of the organization) and Mikko Koskinen and Anders Nilsson in 2009.

Here is how Isles goalie coach Mike Dunham described him:

Eamon McAdam is a positional goalie with good patience and quick feet who does a good job finding pucks through traffic. McAdam has a knack of making the big save.

With McAdam headed to the NCAA, the Isles can hold on to his rights for four years if he stays in school, providing ample time to develop on his end and for the Isles to evaluate options on their end.

McAdam's Teammate Cammarata and Leading Scorer Taken at 76

This is the selection the Islanders acquired as part of the Nino Niederreiter trade earlier in the afternoon. The Isles had their own third-round pick at 76, where they selected McAdam's Waterloo teammate Taylor Cammarata.

Cammarata is a big scorer but not a big kid: In 57 games this past season he racked up 36 goals and 54 assists for 90 points with Waterloo, which led the USHL. But he is listed at 5'7, so it will be an uphill climb for him to make a mark in the pros. That said, taking a high-scoring forward isn't a bad roll of the dice with a mid-round pick.

Headed to the University of Minnesota in the fall, Cammarata was ranked 59th by Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus, who had this to say about him in his 2013 draft preview:

Cammarata was the top scorer in the USHL this year, an impressive feat for a 17-year-old, leading the league in scoring by six points. He is a great puck possessor, with very quick hands, and he can produce rapid movements. He is also an agile and shifty player, making him difficult to check. Cammarata receives praise for his hockey brain as well, and he has shown that he can be a great playmaker, setting up teammates well, with a high level of offensive creativity and instincts.

Why is a highly talented player producing at an elite level in a difficult scoring league not a first rounder? For one, he is small, measuring at just 5'7". For another, he has just average top speed, which is underwhelming at his size, despite his agility and good acceleration. I have heard divided opinions on his willingness to play a gritty game, with one scout saying he will not engage at all, and another saying he likes to play that style. He is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2013-14.

Cammarata was also USA Junior Hockey Player of the Year, and USHL Player of the Year.

UPDATE: Here are Cammarata and McAdam's draft-day interviews with IslesTV:

Cammarata:


McAdam:


The Islanders' next pick is at 106th overall in the fourth round.