The New York Islanders are expected to play it safe with the number-one overall pick, according to The Athletic’s 2025 NHL mock draft.
The mock draft by Corey Pronman looks at all 224 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. It’s quite the endeavor when considering the insane number of variables at play.
One of those variables is Mathieu Darche. He hasn’t been at the helm in Long Island very long, but has been tasked with leading the search for the Islanders’ next star. Like all human-based decisions, there’s a factor of unpredictability with Darche and the Islanders.
But if musings and rumblings are to be believed, the New York Islanders won’t be gambling with the top pick. They’ll keep it safe by taking the consensus best player.
As Pronman notes in the mock draft:
“I don’t think Schaefer to the Islanders is 100 percent done, but I think it’s done-ish. The league is acting with the heavy presumption they are not going to get cute at No. 1 and will take the consensus best player.”
It’s interesting that Pronman underscores how it’s not a foregone conclusion that the Isles will take Schaefer. But by the way things shape up, it’ll be Schaefer. There’s no compelling reason why it wouldn’t be.
Yes, there could always be a draft day surprise. But let’s be real for a minute. No one will call out the Isles for taking the best player available at #1. That player is Matthew Schaefer. End of story.
New York Islanders will get a center in second round
Rather than going through the bulk of the New York Islanders’ picks, I want to focus solely on the Isles’ second-rounder.
The Islanders have all of their original picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. So, the club is up at #42 in the second round. According to The Athletic, the Islanders could be going with center Eric Nilson.
Nilson is an 18-year-old Swedish/Canadian center currently pledged to Michigan State in the NCAA.
Elite Prospects describes Nilson as:
“When it comes to being an all-around two-way centre, Nilson has many of the required boxes checked. He combines his speed and quickness with a very commendable motor and good off-puck read. He supports his defencemen down low, sticks to his assignments, and suffocates attackers on the backcheck.”
In my estimation, Nilson could go much higher in the draft. He could sneak into the first round if some team figures they need a solid center late in the round.
But it seems Nilson could land on the New York Islanders’ lap at #42. If that’s the case, the Islanders could have found the center they need to round out the team. Judging from the scouting report, Nilson won’t be a 100-point scorer.
But he does have a solid offensive upside. Nilson scored 12 goals and 38 points with the Junior Djurgardens club in Sweden. While it remains to be seen how his game transfers to the NCAA, it doesn’t seem like he’ll struggle.
I can envision Nilson as a solid second-line center, providing solid defensive play with decent depth scoring. He’s listed at 6’0” and 165 pounds. So, size might be an issue, but he has so much room for growth.
The ETA on Nilson could be between two to three years. But the wait could be worth it as the Islanders begin to turnover some of their older players in the next couple of seasons.
