Here are all of the Islanders' picks from both rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles...
Round 1
No. 17 pick: D Kashawn Aitcheson
The Islanders selected Kashawn Aitcheson with the 17th overall pick in the draft, thanks to the Dobson deal.
Elite Prospects: Loving nothing more than seeing attackers approach with their head down, Aitcheson hunts big open ice hits, connecting those every chance he gets. Saying that he makes his presence felt would be underselling it. Like throwback defencemen, Aitcheson is also a spot defender in his zone, forcing attackers to take the long way around to find some space in the slot. He can rotate and follow threats around the ice, but he’s at his best when picking up net-drivers, pushing them back and off the puck, and harassing them on the boards.
No. 16 pick: LW Victor Eklund
Acquired as part of the Noah Dobson deal with the Canadiens, the Islanders selected Eklund, the 18-year-old Swede, with the No. 16 overall pick. Eklund is ranked as the second-best international prospect by NHL.com.
Eklund is the brother of Sharks' winger William Eklund and racked up 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 42 games in Hockey Allsvenskan, Sweden's second pro league. He recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games at the 2025 World Juniors as his Sweden team finished fourth in the tournament.
Elite Prospects: Employing a relentless, never-ending motor and highly impressive contact skills, Eklund suffocates defenders with his pace, outraces them for pucks on retrievals and wins the war for body positioning by cutting them at their hands. He’s also a very capable offensive creator who gets a lot of looks from the slot and net-front areas due to his dogged style, as well as showing skill and finesse as a playmaker. He’s particularly gifted at playing below the goal line, combining the forechecking prowess with playmaking vision to turn steals into chances with clever feeds to the slot.
No. 1 pick: D Matthew Schaefer
The Islanders drafted the first overall pick in the draft for just the fifth time in their history, and they selected arguably the best prospect in the class.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman recorded 10 goals and 39 points in 73 OHL games across two seasons. He captained Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he scored six points (two goals, four assists) in five games. He also scored five points (one goal, four assists) to help Canada win gold at the 2024 U-18s.
NHL.com: The 17-year-old defenseman recorded 22 points (7G, 15A) in 17 games for the Erie Otters last season, as his season was cut short due to a broken clavicle at the 2025 World Juniors. Despite being limited to 17 games, he's highly-regarded both offensively and defensively and is a blueliner who can play in all situations.
