With the NHL Draft approaching, the New York Islanders are surveying their options for who to select first overall and there are a few standouts that deserve a close look.
There were suspicions that the Islanders might trade the No. 1 selection, but newly-minted GM Mathieu Darche turned down that possibility when asked at the NHL Scouting Combine.
"You've got to be open to everything, but I'd be shocked if we're not the one speaking first," Darche told NHL.com. "When Gary [Bettman] announces the first pick, I'd be shocked if it's not the New York Islanders."
There is a deep pool of top prospects that could be worthy of going first overall, but there are two that would be the best fits for New York looking ahead to next season and beyond.
Matthew Schaefer could be an instant Top 2 defenseman
Unanimously projected to be selected first by NHL.com, defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters has the potential to immediately walk onto an NHL lineup according to some scouts.
Schaefer's game is defined by a solid two-way style with strong puck movement at the heart of it. He is efficient at generating rush attempts, and his smooth skating allows him to jump in on the action. Schaefer plays with an offense-first mindset, drawing some comparisons to guys like Cale Makar.
Schaefer also shared that he is going to be coached by retired NHLer Mark Giordano this summer, and will train alongside current Isles defenseman Adam Pelech. He has already had meetings with the executives from New York at the Scouting Combine, so the rapport with the organization is continuing to grow.
The only drawback is that he was injured for the majority of this past season, so there's not the largest sample size as far as how he's developing. That could open the door for some hidden drawbacks that scouts simply weren't able to detect as much. He did put up 22 points in the 17 games played, putting up a good enough performance to earn high praise from scouts.
Still, although there is a small window of doubt, ESPN predicts with high confidence that Schaefer could develop into a staple on the top pairing.
Michael Misa's potential as an elite center
Michael Misa is the highest ranked forward in the draft class, and for good reason. He had an explosive season offensively, leading the OHL with 134 points. That's the fifth-most by any draft-eligible skater in the OHL since 1990.
But Misa has plenty to offer outside of the scoresheet. He has a style comparable to someone like Nico Hischier, who has carved out a role as one of the NHL's best two-way centers. Misa has a lot of the same qualities as Hischier: he kills penalties, generates scoring chances, and has phenomenal instincts when it comes to puck movement.
Misa has a pretty big frame for a center at 6'1", but he prefers to go the route of winning battles along the boards and challenging skaters physically as opposed to outright playing the body or going for big hits. And he is very efficient at snatching up loose pucks and forcing turnovers.
The only question mark is his consistency. After being granted exceptional status to join the OHL at age 15, Misa did not hit the ground running and impress right away, like Connor McDavid did in that situation. It took him some time to develop before hitting the insane milestones that he reached this past year.
But that doesn't necessarily reflect on his future in the NHL. Misa said himself he believes he's ready to jump right into big league action.
Who fits the Islanders lineup best?
Between these two extremely talented skaters, it might make more sense to shock the hockey world and pick Misa based on the needs of the team.
As it stands, the Islanders are lacking in depth down the middle. The blue line is teeming with younger skaters, like 25-year-old Alex Romanov. He will become an RFA on July 1 but the Isles will likely make a hard push to re-sign him after having a breakout season.
Even guys like Adam Boqvist, 23, and Isaiah George, 21, have a shot at making the full-time roster if Darche can free up a spot on the back end for them. But the fact is that New York has eight D-men under contract who could reasonably be suiting up every night, plus 11 more guys either in the AHL or developing in the minors.
Meanwhile, the team's three top centers are over 30 years old, and they don't have nearly as many prospects at that position. The Islanders' highest pick last year was Cole Eiserman at 20th overall, and he's the strongest young center in the organization, but there's a good chance he returns to Boston University next season. New York has just three centers in the minor league, and two prosepcts aside from Eiserman.
Schaefer has the potential to become one of the premier defenders in the league, but will Darche move some assets to open up a spot for him? Or would he prefer to address the center depth and go for an NHL-ready forward that can reliably play both sides of the puck? That will have to wait until the NHL Draft on June 27.