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With the Stanley Cup awarded, thoughts turn to the NHL draft. But in an odd turnabout, which in one way reflects their new status as contenders and in another way reflects their impatience (finally) and imprudence to get there, the New York Islanders aren't in the running for any of the top prospects.
Thanks to their improvement and playoff appearance, the Islanders were not in the lottery this year and instead the order has them picking 21st in each round. (The order gets skewed by a compensatory pick for the Hawks at #54, awarded out of thin air because Kevin Hayes didn't sign with them.) But thanks mostly to the Thomas Vanek trade, the Isles aren't in position to make a selection until the 72nd choice.
That could all change of course. I'd even bet on it changing as Garth Snow looks to shuffle, get back into the NHL's prospect roulette, and make other moves as insurance for any departing forwards. Chances are the Islanders see a few prospects in this draft whom they feel are worth trading an asset. But if they do that, it probably won't happen until during the draft when they have a better sense that one of their targets is still on the table.
Generally if a team is going to give up their first or second round pick, they are going to want an active NHL player, an on-the-cusp prospect, or picks later in/close to those same rounds. The Isles don't have the latter, but arguably have options from the other categories. With some extra forwards (Michael Grabner?) and excess blueline prospects (Griffin Reinhart?), the Islanders have some pieces that could be in play.
*Note: Technically Grabner isn't an "extra" forward, but he has a few strikes that put him in frequent trade speculation: An injury-riddled season, inconsistent faith from the staff, new additions in 2014-15 who bumped him down the depth chart, and a high salary but low cap hit this year (the Isles tend to favor the inverse), as well as some alluring skills that make him actually desirable in a trade.
Snow himself alluded to packaging the two thirds for a second if the right opportunity came up.
Just remember, as you fantasize about a trade for an unknown future in this draft, each of the possible trade chips has its own baggage. (e.g. Grabner had an injury-riddled season; Reinhart is a former top pick who may have been passed by others on the depth chart.)
Islanders Picks: Two 3rds, a 4th, a 6th, a 7th
At present, the Islanders have no picks until the third round, when they have two -- Florida's at 72 thanks to a swap of mid-round picks at last year's draft, and their own at 82.
In the fourth round, they have their own at 112.
In the fifth round they have none, having traded a conditional fourth to San Jose for Dan Boyle (it became a fifth when he didn't sign, though in retrospect he did the Isles a favor by going to the other New York).
In the sixth round, they hold their own pick at 172.
In the seventh round, they have one of two selections, having dealt the later one to San Jose in the Tyler Kennedy trade (which was a 2015 seventh unless the Isles won the Cup, which would've made it a 2016 third. Aren't draft pick trades fun?).
Full Draft Order
Here's the full order. The Islanders' picks (at present) are in bold, picks that involved them at one time are in italics with some explanation. This is based on news reports and nhl.com, but is not final. A good resource for keeping up with changes (at least until NHL.com updates) is ProSportsTransactions.
- Edmonton
- Buffalo
- Arizona
- Toronto
- Carolina
- New Jersey
- Philadelphia
- Columbus
- San Jose
- Colorado
- Florida
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Calgary
- Pittsburgh → Edmonton
- Winnipeg
- Ottawa
- Detroit
- Minnesota
- NY Islanders → Buffalo [Thomas Vanek trade]
- Washington
- Vancouver
- Nashville → Toronto
- St. Louis → Buffalo → Winnipeg
- Montreal
- Anaheim
- NY Rangers → Tampa Bay
- Tampa Bay → Philadelphia
- Chicago → Arizona
- Buffalo
- Arizona
- Edmonton
- Toronto → Los Angeles → Columbus
- Carolina
- New Jersey
- Philadelphia → NY Islanders → Boston [Andrew MacDonald, Johnny Boychuk trades]
- Columbus
- San Jose
- Colorado
- Florida → New Jersey
- Dallas → Ottawa
- Los Angeles → Buffalo → Los Angeles
- Boston → Tampa Bay
- Calgary
- Pittsburgh
- Winnipeg
- Ottawa
- Detroit → Dallas
- Minnesota
- NY Islanders → Buffalo [Thomas Vanek trade]
- Washington → Calgary
- Vancouver → Calgary
- Chicago (compensatory pick for Kevin Hayes not signing)
- Nashville
- St. Louis
- Montreal → Edmonton
- Anaheim → Columbus
- NY Rangers → Arizona
- Tampa Bay → NY Rangers
- Chicago → Philadelphia
- Buffalo → Washington
- Arizona
- Edmonton → Anaheim → Tampa Bay
- Toronto
- Carolina
- New Jersey
- Philadelphia → Columbus
- Columbus
- San Jose → Philadelphia
- Colorado
- Florida → NY Islanders [2014 draft swap]
- Dallas → Detroit
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Calgary
- Pittsburgh → Florida
- Winnipeg
- Ottawa → Edmonton
- Detroit → Columbus → Anaheim
- Minnesota → Arizona
- NY Islanders
- Washington → Calgary
- Vancouver → Anaheim
- Nashville
- St. Louis → Edmonton
- Montreal
- Anaheim → Florida
- NY Rangers
- Tampa Bay → Philadelphia
- Chicago
- Buffalo
- Arizona → Washington → Carolina
- Edmonton → St. Louis
- Toronto
- Carolina
- New Jersey
- Philadelphia
- Columbus → Philadelphia
- San Jose → Nashville
- Colorado
- Florida
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Calgary → San Jose
- Pittsburgh → Toronto
- Winnipeg
- Ottawa
- Detroit
- Minnesota
- NY Islanders
- Washington
- Vancouver
- Nashville
- St. Louis
- Montreal → Edmonton
- Anaheim → Tampa Bay
- NY Rangers
- Tampa Bay
- Chicago
- Buffalo
- Arizona
- Edmonton
- Toronto
- Carolina
- New Jersey → St. Louis
- Philadelphia
- Columbus
- San Jose
- Colorado → Montreal
- Florida
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Calgary
- Pittsburgh
- Winnipeg → Carolina
- Ottawa
- Detroit
- Minnesota
- NY Islanders → San Jose [Dan Boyle trade; 4th became 5th when he didn't sign]
- Washington
- Vancouver
- Nashville
- St. Louis
- Montreal → Florida
- Anaheim
- NY Rangers → Vancouver
- Tampa Bay
- Tampa Bay
- Buffalo
- Arizona → Tampa Bay
- Edmonton
- Toronto
- Carolina
- New Jersey
- Philadelphia
- Columbus
- San Jose
- Colorado
- Florida
- Dallas
- Los Angeles → Chicago
- Boston
- Calgary
- Pittsburgh
- Winnipeg → Ottawa → Carolina
- Ottawa
- Detroit
- Minnesota
- NY Islanders
- Washington
- Vancouver
- Nashville
- St. Louis
- Montreal
- Anaheim
- NY Rangers
- Tampa Bay
- Chicago
- Buffalo
- Arizona
- Edmonton
- Toronto
- Carolina
- New Jersey → Los Angeles
- Philadelphia
- Columbus
- San Jose
- Colorado
- Florida
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Calgary
- Pittsburgh
- Winnipeg
- Ottawa
- Detroit
- Minnesota
- NY Islanders
- Washington → Winnipeg
- Vancouver → Tampa Bay → Minnesota
- Nashville
- St. Louis → New Jersey → Florida
- Montreal
- Anaheim → Tampa Bay
- NY Rangers → Tampa Bay
- Tampa Bay → NY Islanders → San Jose [Tyler Kennedy trade]
- Chicago