2026 NHL Draft Notebook: Inside Each Selection

The New York Islanders got a relatively small, but quality haul at the 2026 NHL Draft as they selected three defensemen through the first five rounds and two forwards.  

Isles GM and EVP Mathieu Darche confirmed that the newest five members of the Islanders family will kick start their chapter on Sunday for Islanders Development Camp. Stay tuned all week for coverage and exclusive content and read more about them below. 

ISLES GET EDGY D-MAN IN GUSTAFSSON 

The Islanders bolstered their defense with Malte Gustafsson at 13th overall, who is a self-proclaimed menace on the ice.  

Darche said there was consideration in drafting a forward, but after hearing about Gustafsson’s reputation in the SHL as a relentless, pesky young defenseman, he couldn’t pass him up.  

“It's funny, because we debated with our few of our scouts about some of the big forwards. There were quite a few big forwards [available] and they're all saying that Malte stops those guys. We're very happy with the pick.” 

His ceiling is high, as the 18-year-old is already showing signs of maturity and composure playing at Sweden’s highest level. The 6’4,” 203 lbs. defenseman was high up on the Islanders’ internal list.  

“A lot of times the players, after you draft them, some of them grow an inch because they're still young,” Darche said. “So, let's call him a 6’5” defenseman and he needs to put a bit of weight on. He might come in eventually at 215-225. That's going to be a hard guy to play against.”

ISLES GRAB THREE BLUELINERS THROUGH FIVE ROUNDS

The Islanders added depth to their blueline by drafting three defensemen with their first three picks. After selecting Gustafsson, Darche opted for another lock-down d-man by using his 109th overall pick to draft Lincoln Kuehne in the fourth round. He added another defenseman by selecting Vladimir Dravecky in the fifth round (141st overall).  

“You can never have enough good defensemen,” Darche said. “The strategy is to always take the best player available.”  

All three are hefty blueliners with solid skating skillsets. Part of selecting the best player available deviates from organizational needs. Gustafsson is a left shot, while Kuehne and Dravecky is right-handed.  

"Your needs might change by the time these guys are ready to be contributors in the NHL," Darche said. "Even if you have a lot of lefties, well, if you need something else at some point, they're assets too. It's even better because they'd be already drafted and already pro." 

Kuehne comes in at 6’2” and 210 lbs., having played his first NCAA season in 2025-26 with Arizona State, where he put up two points (1G, 1A) through 30 games as a 17-year-old freshman. Before making the jump to NCAA hockey, the Fargo, North Dakota native collected 21 points (4G, 17A) through 116 games with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP). Kuehne was teammates with now fellow Isles prospect Jacob Kvasnicka, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft (202nd overall).  ​

Dravecky’s game is more centered around his hockey IQ than his physicality. Scouts say that the 5’11,” 192 lbs. defenseman is a skilled puck mover who put up 28 points (9G, 19A) for the Brantford Bulldogs last season.  

A dual citizen in both the United States and the Czechia, the Manchester, New Hampshire native represented Czechia at the World Juniors this past year, earning a silver medal alongside fellow Isles prospect Tomas Poletin. 

Dravecky has also played in Slovakia and Sweden, including three games in the SHL in 2024-25. 

He got traded to the Guelph Storm, where he’ll play in the 2026-27 season. When Dravecky arrives for Islanders development camp, he’ll be reunited with his former head coach in Brantford, Jay McKee.  

"I actually texted Jay and a few other OHL GMs a few picks before we picked him just to do our due diligence," Darche said. "They felt like he's highly skilled. He got traded out of Brantford and they made a push for the Memorial Cup, they had a real strong team."

ISLES PICK TWO FORWARDS IN LATER ROUNDS

The Islanders rounded out the second day in the 2026 NHL Draft by selecting forwards Artyom Matyuk in the sixth round (173rd overall) and Robert Cowan in the seventh round at 205th overall.   

Matyuk, a native of Moskva, Russia, recorded 39 points (13G, 26A) in 54 games for the Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, setting career highs across the board in Russia’s junior league.  

Cowan put up 24 points (5G, 19A) for Western Michigan in the 2025-26 season, marking his first NCAA campaign. His hometown of Edina, Minnesota is the same as Islanders Captain Anders Lee.

SCHAEFER MAKES CAMEO 

It wasn’t Schaefer’s draft year, but the 2025 first-overall pick made a special appearance for the 2026 draft class.  

Friday’s first round was nearly one year from Schaefer’s selection as the 2025 first-overall pick, so seeing Gavin McKenna have his moment felt like déjà vu for Schaefer. The two played against each other in the Ontario Hockey League, so Schaefer lived the special moment vicariously through his former foe.  

“I’m getting goosebumps just sitting here watching [Gavin] McKenna go up, I played against him,” Schaefer told ESPN’s Leah Hextall. “For all these players, it’s such a dream come true. You only get one draft ever. To hear your name called, it’s so amazing.”  

Schaefer had the honor or representing the Islanders on stage as they selected Malte Gustafsson 13th overall, while he made several media appearances throughout the night as an athlete correspondent. His takeaway of watching the next class experience such a special milestone? It’s a fresh start and he loves to see them enjoy it.  

It was a moment for Schaefer to reflect on the historic year he had – a Calder winning campaign – but he’s humble as always, thinking about the special community he found on Long Island.  

“My first year was awesome. It was so cool going in to meet new people, new teammates,” Schaefer said. “They’re basically all my dads on the team because they’re so much older. Everyone has made me feel at home. It was such an amazing season, everyone bought in and everyone is a family.”