The New York Islanders’ frenetic, chaotic, wild first round of the NHL Draft landed two more solid prospects for the organization.

The Islanders held the 16th and 17th overall picks thanks to the trade that sent Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens.

16th Overall:

With the 16th overall pick, the Islanders selected Victor Eklund, a complete and total steal in that position. A consensus top-ten talent, ranked seventh in Elite Prospects’ consolidated rankings. Has top-line potential, is an elite skater with high hockey sense. Yes, he is William Eklund’s (SJS) brother.

EP compares him to Seth Jarvis and Travis Konecny, two of the best penalty-killers in the NHL, along with both producing 30+ goal seasons. Eklund is a player to be very, very excited about. He could be in the NHL by 2026-27.

In the SHL this season, Eklund posted 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games. In the postseason, he added two goals and seven points across 16 games. With Sweden’s World Juniors team, Eklund posted seven goals and 11 points in 14 games.

This is a very, very good pick.

17th Overall:

Then, with the 17th overall pick, the Islanders added another left-shot defenseman in Kashawn Aitcheson. Aitcheson plays an extremely physical game that draws comparisons to Jacob Trouba, who is Elite Prospects’ top comparison for him.

Aitcheson has an elite shot, with a deadly one-timer that strikes fear into opponents. He posted 26 goals and 59 points across 64 OHL games with the Barrie Colts. In 16 playoff games, he added another six goals and 12 points.

Aitcheson will be a fan favorite in the league when he arrives. A total package of a player, the biggest missing link right now is his skating, something that has steadily improved as he has.

He has a strong hockey sense, but his calling cards will be his physicality and heavy, heavy shot. Like Eklund, he could be in the NHL as soon as 2026-27.

Quick Analysis:

The league-wide consensus is that the Islanders crushed their picks. The Islanders landed a foundational player in Matthew Schaefer first overall, then added two players who were forecasted a top-ten picks. Eklund, especially, is of exceptional value at pick #16.

For the first time since 2018, the Islanders held two consecutive first-round picks. In 2018, the Islanders landed Noah Dobson and Oliver Wahlstrom. Seven years later, neither is with the organization. The Islanders’ trade tree of Travis Hamonic grew another massive branch with the Dobson trade.

Islanders’ rookie General Manager Mathieu Darche woke up today with one draft pick. He tried to land James Hagens, but teams asked for exorbitant packages to move up. So, he walked away using three first-rounders and a top-ten, if not top-five, prospect pool in the entire NHL. While the jury remains out on how the rest of this summer and draft will go, there’s no questioning that Darche has done extremely well given the dire situation thrust upon him.

Adding Schaefer, Eklund, and Aitcheson to Cole Eiserman and Calum Ritchie as elite prospects is an unbelievable coup for the Islanders. While it’s a far cry from a rebuild, this is exactly how a team retools. Next year, the Islanders hold two first-round picks thanks to the Brock Nelson trade.

Tomorrow, the Islanders pick 42nd, 74th, 106th, 138th, 170th, and 202nd.