So, um, Who's Left? Draft Profile: Brendan Warren

The 2015 NHL Entry Draft is Friday, June 26th and Saturday, June 27th at Sunrise, Florida.

I have no idea who the Islanders are going to draft this year. And neither do you.

With no picks in the first two rounds, the annual hemming and hawing over who the team will add to their prospect pool has been muted this year. The Islanders' first pick is No. 72 (courtesy of a trade with the Panthers), followed by their own pick at No. 82. Who's around at that time is anyone's guess.

But by using some deductive reasoning and a healthy dose of why not, we can take a shot at spotting some young players the Islanders might have their eyes on.

For more on the completely haphazard way in which we picked who to profile, please see the first entry in the series.

Next up:

Brendan Warren, US National Under-18 Team

Vitals:

I don't quite know why, but I get a real Brock Nelson vibe from reading about Brendan Warren: American college guy with a high hockey IQ who plays a simple game well. Although Warren's not as big as Nelson, and his upside doesn't seem as high, he seems like a versatile player much like Nelson is now. But, as we have established, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so I could be completely wrong.

Warren has a commitment to play next season for the University of Michigan (where he was recruited at 15), so the Islanders could take him on as a longer term project as they did with Nelson and fellow NCAA product Anders Lee. I doubt Warren will change his mind, either. When you get a chance to play in what might be the final season of Red Berenson's coaching career, you do it.

Season stats:

Scouting reports:

We'll let our pals at SBN College Hockey do the honors:

Warren's best asset has always been his skating. Though he spent most of this past season playing on the wing, he's capable of playing center. He's a player that competes hard and is willing to go into tough areas and work along the boards to win pucks.

The downside to Warren's game is that his hands have never quite been able to keep up with his feet. A lack of creativity with the puck and high-end finishing ability has led Warren to put up rather pedestrian scoring numbers. He's much better in a supporting offensive role than as a player that drives play with the puck.

From BSN Avalanche:

He's physical along the boards and seems to enjoy this style of play. Possesses a high hockey IQ, never looking overwhelmed by the speed of the game and always putting himself in the right positions. Warren is a decent skater with good balance and above-average speed, allowing him to get where he wants when he wants.

Video evidence that he actually exists:

There he is - right place, right time.