New York Islanders 2026 NHL Draft Primer

The newest New York Islanders will join the organization this weekend, as the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round is slated for Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 will take place on Saturday (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN).

The Islanders enter with five picks:

R1 – Pick 13

R4 – Pick 109

R5 – Pick 141

R6 – Pick 173

R7 – Pick 205

The Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer (1^st), Victor Eklund (16^th) and Kashawn Aitcheson (17^th) in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

The last time the Islanders held the 13th pick was in 1987 when they selected Dean Chynoweth. The Islanders also selected Derek King 13th overall in 1985.

The Islanders do not have a second or third-round pick in this year’s draft. The Islanders second-round pick was dealt to Chicago with Josh Bailey in 2023, while the third-round pick was dealt to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Carson Soucy this past season.

Check out the NHL Draft Hub for all-access to content leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft. Follow live updates on social media and the Isles + UBS Arena App on draft night.