Kuehne Brings Size, Skating and Versatility to Islanders Development Camp

Lincoln Kuehne had a bit of a watch party for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Surrounded by his friends and family in a cabin, he relished the special moment of seeing the New York Islanders select him in the fourth round (109^th overall) on Saturday afternoon.

“We had a couple of TVs going and found out I got drafted,” Kuehne said. “I was so happy, it was so surreal.”

Kuehne went from a cozy watch party to feverishly packing for a trip to Long Island for development camp. Even seeing the view of the ocean from the flight was surreal for the Fargo, North Dakota native.

“It’s unbelievable,” Kuehne said. “Just from flying in, I thought to myself, this is such a beautiful city, seeing the ocean and stuff like that just on the flight here. Getting here is great, the coaching staff is awesome, and I know some of the players, I love it here.”

The 6’2” and 210 lbs. defenseman is coming off his first NCAA season in 2025-26 with Arizona State. The blueliner put up two points (1G, 1A) through 30 games after he went through the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), where he recorded 21 points (4G, 17A) through 116 games.

The 18-year-old describes himself as a versatile defenseman who can contribute offensively while providing consistent shutdown defense. He models his game after Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider for his work ethic and grit on the ice.

“Being able to play hard and using my skating to close out time and space,” Kuehne said. “I’m hard to play against but I also like to join the rush and be that fourth layer in the offensive zone, or sometimes that third layer. That’s my game.”

Jumping to NCAA hockey at 17 years old meant adjusting to an older, faster and more physical game, but Kuehne believes the experience accelerated his development.

“It’s a high level, playing college hockey,” Kuehne said. “Went through some adversity but the biggest thing was sticking with it and overcoming those challenges. Everything is one second faster out there.”

Kuehne had some familiarity with the Islanders before he got drafted by the organization. The Isles were among the first few teams Kuehne spoke with at the NHL combine earlier this month.

Before Kuehne made the jump to the NCAA, he played against Matthew Schaefer in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2023-24 and has been following his early career with the Isles.

“I played against Schaefer, he obviously went first overall last year and had a great season,” Kuehne said. “So, I knew a bit about the Islanders.”

Kuehne is also reunited with former USNTDP teammate Jacob Kvasnicka, the Isles’ 2025 seventh-rounder (202nd overall). Kvasnicka and all of Kuehne’s former teammates were thrilled for the defenseman to be drafted.

“Our team group chat blew up when he got drafted. It was a big deal for us, we’re so pumped for him,” Kvasnicka said.

Kuehne and Kvasnicka hung out nearly every day as USNTDP teammates.. The reunion on Long Island was special, and Kvasnicka is excited to show him around. With a few seasons together, Kvasnicka saw Kuehne develop over the years, maturing into the defenseman he is today.

“He’s just so solid. He’s hard to get around him, he’s really quick,” Kvasnicka said. “On and off the ice, his mental game got so strong over the years. He’s a great skater, a one-of-a-kind player and I’m super happy that we got him.”

Kuehne grew up doing a lot of power skating, learning closely from a skills coach, as his skating materialized into one of his top attributes. What helped too is having a dad who played hockey in the USHL. This week, he’s looking to further sharpen his skills, taking in all he can from the coaching staff and his teammates.

“It’s been great seeing how everyone handles themselves and how they all work,” Kuehne said. “Seeing their playing style and skillsets, there are some really good skaters out there. I’m excited to be here.”