It’s still mock draft season, and that time of the year when fans and experts alike enjoy overthinking the prospects and how the draft will play out. The New York Islanders have the top pick and can take an elite prospect based on history, how general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche wants to build the team, or with the ceiling and floor of each player.
The majority of experts are leaning towards the Islanders selecting Matthew Schaefer, including the mock draft here at The Hockey Writers. He has the highest ceiling and is a game-changing defenseman. The Islanders can select him and build their blue line around a player who does it all.
Related: Darche Will Build Islanders Through Strong Pipeline, What Does it Mean for Current Core?
This perception ignores how this draft doesn’t have a clear-cut choice at number one. On the contrary, this is one of the few draft classes where there isn’t a consensus top pick or a player who is labeled as a generational talent. Michael Misa has a great case to go with the top pick, and the Islanders have a few convincing reasons to take the elite center from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Misa Doesn’t Have Any Red Flags
The other top prospects on the Islanders’ radar, aside from Misa, are Schaefer and James Hagens, another dynamic forward known for being the hometown kid. The latter two names have glaring weaknesses. The red flags will have a few teams out on them from the jump, and the Islanders could be one of those teams.
Hagens is a smaller skater, notably weighing 170 pounds. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a reminder of the value of a power forward with size who does it all. A skilled forward is great, but at the end of the day, the skaters leading their teams to the Cup have that physical element to their game as well. Hagens, like Jack Hughes, looks like he’ll become a great regular-season skater with his speed and skill taking over games. Then the playoffs roll around, and he’ll get pushed around.
Schaefer’s big red flag is the collarbone injury, which will have some teams still on the fence. The pressing question during the combine was if the injury healed, and it sounded like it was (like he’d say anything else when asked about the injury, knowing his draft stock is on the line). The injury will likely not be an issue, especially in the long run. Yet, some teams will look at it and wonder if it will set him back if the collarbone is injured again. It’s worth…
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