MONTREAL — For the first time in a good minute, the Islanders are an object of intrigue as the hockey world descends upon this capital of the sport to commence its first in-person draft in three years.
Coincidentally, that 2019 draft in Vancouver was the last time GM Lou Lamoriello had a first-round selection, using the No. 23 pick on Simon Holmstrom. On Thursday night, if Lamoriello decides to stay put, he’ll pick 13th, the highest the Islanders have gone since 2018, when they drafted Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson 11th and 12th. The operative word in that sentence, though, is “if.”
The Islanders’ system looks better than it did a year ago, but it is still somewhat barren — and would rank near the bottom of any 32-team list. Forwards Aatu Raty, William Dufour and Holmstrom all have a chance to take the next step. So, too, do Robin Salo and Samuel Bolduc on defense. From there, well, now would be a good time to nail a few of the five picks the Islanders currently hold over the next few days.
But — and this is an important “but” — the Islanders still believe themselves to be within a championship window, despite being in the midst of the fallout from a disastrous 37-35-10 season. The 13th overall pick is, if not the most valuable, certainly the most moveable asset Lamoriello possesses should he want to get Noah Dobson an offensively able partner, or Mathew Barzal a winger who can unlock his capabilities.
Things are not quite that easy and straightforward. The Islanders have approximately $12 million in cap space right now, though a chunk of that will presumably be used to re-sign Dobson, who is a restricted free agent. Barzal, who has a year left on his deal, is also due for an extension. If the Isles end up needing to clear space off their books, Anthony Beauvillier ($4.15 million), Josh Bailey ($5 million) and Semyon Varlamov ($5 million) are the most logical names on the roster. Lamoriello has made no secret of his intentions.
“We’d like to improve our defense if we can, as far as offensively,” he said May 9. “And if there’s a way of making a hockey deal, certainly with our forwards, we would do that.”
Should the Islanders end up using their first-round pick, it figures that defense would be where Lamoriello looks if he’s drafting based on need. Slovakian right-hander Simon Nemec will likely be off the board by the 13th pick, and it would be a surprise to see David Jiricek fall that far as well.
Kevin Korchinski, Pavel Mintyukov, Lian Bichsel and Owen Pickering — all left-shots — are names to look for here on defense. If the Isles end up going with a forward, the likes of Conor Geekie or Nathan Gaucher could go in this range. It’s also worth noting that though Finnish center Brad Lambert has been sliding in recent mock drafts, he is the nephew of Islanders coach Lane Lambert, who already has a nephew — Jimmy Lambert — in the organization with AHL Bridgeport.
Characteristically, Lamoriello and the rest of the organization have been quiet about their intentions.
Right now, though, the Islanders need to make the best of what is a fairly limited hand during the offseason. Much as the blame fell on uncontrollable factors for the team’s struggles last season, it is also undeniable that the roster was not as good as management believed. The Islanders like to think their window is still open, but these moments are fleeting, and it will take work to make it back to the playoffs — let alone contend for the Stanley Cup again.
One way or another, that work will start this week in Montreal.