The 2018 NHL draft marked the Islanders’ first under the Lou Lamoriello regime. There was also a great deal of importance in this draft as the Islanders had two early first rounders. They had the 11th pick after finishing 7th in the Metro and the 12th pick from the Flames as part of the Travis Hamonic trade. Now five years removed from this draft how have Lou Lamoriello’s selections panned out?
Round 1 Pick 11: Oliver Wahlstrom (RW)
Wahlstrom was a top 10 prospect that fell in the Islanders’ lap at 11th overall. The hype around Wahlstrom was due to his immense potential as a top level scorer in the league. He showed flashes of that ability after putting up 21 points in 44 games in his rookie season.
However since then he hasn’t been able to take it to the next level. He only managed 24 points in the following season playing in 74 games total. And in 35 games played this season he was only at seven goals before an injury sidelined him. Despite that there is still a lot to like about Wahlstrom’s game at just 23-years-old. He was displaying better play with the puck this season and had a more physical edge than shown in his first two seasons. It might not happen right away but Wahlstrom has the talent to eventually develop into a 20-goal scorer in the NHL.
Round 1 Pick 12: Noah Dobson (D)
Like Wahlstrom, many viewed Dobson as a top 10 pick so the Islanders were again fortunate to land him at 12th overall. In four years with the team he’s become a mainstay with the team’s top four. Dobson has particularly thrived on the offensive side of the puck in his career thus far. In his last two seasons he scored 51 and 49 points respectively while also having a very important role as a power play quarterback.
While Dobson is hitting his stride on offense, his defensive game is still somewhat a work in progress. This season in particular saw him plagued with miscues that led to quality scoring chances against. Still, at 23-years-old the Islanders landed themselves a tremendous talent in Dobson that should improve going forwards.
Round 2 Pick 41: Bode Wilde (D)
Wilde was once considered to be a tremendous two way defenseman prospect. Some projected him as a first round selection with potential as top four level defenseman. The only knock on him was that he needed a lot of improvement on his defensive play.
He played 42 games with Bridgeport and accumulated eight points total. That was the last we’ve seen of Wilde in the Islanders system since the 2020-21 season. Lamoriello refused to let Wilde participate with the team after declining to take the COVID-19 vaccination. Since then, Wilde has played two so-so seasons in a pair of international hockey leagues. What lies ahead for Wilde’s NHL future is uncertain although it’s a virtual guarantee he won’t be returning to the Islanders.
Round 2 Pick 43: Ruslan Iskhakov (C)
With the second of their two second round picks the Islanders may have found themselves a gem. Iskhakov is a smaller center at 5’9” but has tremendous skills as an offensive playmaker. He’s been a highly productive point producer across his hockey career and proved it was no fluke in his first season of AHL action. In this season with Bridgeport he amassed 17 goals and 34 assists en route to being selected as an AHL All-Star. The 22-year-old forward will likely spend more time developing his game in the AHL but the early results are very promising. If he’s able to replicate this tremendous first season he’ll have a clear path to the NHL.
Round 3 Pick 72: Jakub Skarek (G)
The Islanders selected their one and only goaltender in this class with Skarek in the third round. He’s spent the last four years in the AHL with a career 3.34 GAA, .893 save percentage and a 37-49-9 record. It’s not the perfect start for Skarek in his pro career but it’s certainly something to work with going forward.
The Islanders brought Skarek up as an emergency third goalie in their first round series against the Hurricanes. Having the opportunity to work with Sorokin/Varlamov and the Islanders’ goaltending coaches should be a great help to the 23-year-old netminder. He has a chance at seeing some NHL action this upcoming season with an expected opening at the backup position.
Late Round Selections
In the fourth round the Islanders selected center Jake Pivonta. He spent his last five years playing college hockey, spending four seasons with Notre Dame and one with the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Pivonka is regarded as a reliable player who excels on the defensive side of the puck. Pivonka recently signed an amateur tryout with Bridgeport.
Left winger Blade Jenkins was selected in the fifth round. He showed some great offensive upside in the OHL that led to his selection. In 89 games with Bridgeport he’s gotten a total of 10 goals and 10 assists. He’ll be spending more time in the AHL to work on his game before having a path to the NHL.
The Islanders final selection in this draft was defenseman Christian Krygier. Krygier played five years of college hockey all with Michigan State. He isn’t a high potential prospect but was held in high regard by the Spartans over his five seasons there. Like Pivonka, he recently signed an amateur tryout with Bridgeport.
Credits
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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