The New York Islanders draft continued to receive rave reviews. By all accounts, the Islanders smashed the first round.
Earlier in the second round, the Islanders bet on the high-upside of a 6’6 monster from Russia named Daniil Prokhorov.
Then, in round three, they picked a consensus second-round level talent. Ranked as high as #40 by EliteProspects, Romano’s a total speedster. Not only that, he’s got extreme skill and can put the puck in the net. He finished tied for seventh in goals amongst all draft-eligible players from the OHL with 25.
His total stats for the year are 25 goals, 26 assists, and 51 points in 67 games. In the playoffs, he added six goals and 11 points in 16 games.
Here’s Romano’s presser:
From EliteProspect’s Draft Guide: “A toolsy and detailed do-it-all center who continued to flash high-end skill as the season progressed, but will need to increase the frequency and efficiency of his play-creation.” The guide compares him to a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Evan Rodrigues, a total Swiss-Army knife of a player.
He’s 5’11 and played serious minutes in all situations, but scouts loved his work on the penalty kill.