Confirmed with Link: 2025 NHL DRAFT Thread: The Isles Have Won the 2025 Draft Lottery

[YearlyLottery]

When draft night comes the Islanders will draft the best player and a franchise level piece for the organization. That player is Schaefer.

Will I be upset they picked Misa? No. But that is not the best player in this draft.

You draft Schaefer because he gives the Islanders a franchise level defenseman. I do not think everyone here realizes just how good he is.

 

[NYI365]

I'm still laughing from Lottery Night.

 

[Konk]

When draft night comes the Islanders will draft the best player and a franchise level piece for the organization. That player is Schaefer.

Will I be upset they picked Misa? No. But that is not the best player in this draft.

You draft Schaefer because he gives the Islanders a franchise level defenseman. I do not think everyone here realizes just how good he is.

I definitely would and I would be even more upset if they picked Hagens.

I don't expect either scenario though. I'm sure it will be Schaefer...

 

[seabass45]

When draft night comes the Islanders will draft the best player and a franchise level piece for the organization. That player is Schaefer.

Will I be upset they picked Misa? No. But that is not the best player in this draft.

You draft Schaefer because he gives the Islanders a franchise level defenseman. I do not think everyone here realizes just how good he is.

I think Schaefer is the guy and wouldn't be upset with Misa. I wouldn't be THAT upset about Hagens, but... it's definitely a pick where I'd be worried they made a decision based more on sentimentality than for hockey reasons.

 

[Schaefer48]

I’m not sure how many people here have actually watched some games with the top three prospects, but Schaeffer definitely for me stood out as the most dynamic

 

[YearlyLottery]

I’m not sure how many people here have actually watched some games with the top three prospects, but Schaeffer definitely for me stood out as the most dynamic

Hagens to me is the Duchene of this draft in many ways. He will turn out to be a solid player, the team who drafts him will be happy with him, but he is not the best player in this draft.

 

[Chockey22]

The Islanders being gifted the best player in the draft and instead choosing the hometown boy at 1 would be the most Islander type decision ever. It would be as legendary as previous Islander screw ups as Pickett, Milbury choosing Dipietro over Luongo, and promoting Snow. At some point, you’ve got to act like a professional organization, and that means drafting the consensus elite prospect, or reaping a massive haul trading down.

 

[Rehabguy]

At some point, you’ve got to act like a professional organization, and that means drafting the consensus elite prospect, or reaping a massive haul trading down.

Please no trading down.

 

[MattMartin]

Yeah, has to be Schaefer or trade to San Jose if u want Misa. Pretty simple.

 

[impaaaaaact]

.

"My dad’s a big Maple Leafs fan and, of course, John Tavares came from the Islanders, who chose him first overall (in the 2009 NHL Draft), so it's pretty cool," Schaefer said.

HMMMMMMMMM surely this comment wont freak anyone out

the issue with Tavares wasn’t that he wanted out while we had no arena and an AHL coach and GM. It’s that he possibly misrepresented his intentions to Snow and therefor we were unable to cash in on his exit.

I’d say there’s about a 0.0000000% chance we let a UFA of his caliber pass through the trade deadline again without a contract. So if Schaefer or Misa decide they want to go back home and break out the old pajamas in 10 years we will receive an absolute haul.

It’s not something to worry about.

 

[impaaaaaact]

I’m not sure how many people here have actually watched some games with the top three prospects, but Schaeffer definitely for me stood out as the most dynamic

This. It feels like most of the Misa stans are just pointing to the stat line and calling it a day. Hagens would not be in the conversation if he were from Toronto like the other two.

I'm no scout, but Schaefer looks far and away to be the best skater - isn't that supposed to be the strong point of the other two guys? He's supposed to be a great defender, but that doesn't show up in highlights as much. He's also already the biggest guy of the three, and he's about a year younger than Hagens. He's got room to grow.

If the comp is a Heiskanen or Sanderson or Hedman, where else are we supposed to find that? When was the last time a perceived #1 defenseman was traded, or went to free agency? Seth Jones? So every 5 years we'll get a shot (along with 30 other teams) to pay through the nose to acquire one?

No thanks. Unless SJ pays something huge to move up, you take Schaeffer and call it a day.

 

[Rehabguy]

Yes the goal should be quality over quantity. The team needs a potential game breaker not a handful of nhl potentials or an nhl above average scorer. All we would end up is what we have today- an average talented team with a few standouts but no true game breakers other than the guy you have in the net. Horvat is not that guy. Barzal has shown in seasons past the ability to be that guy but it’s not enough. The draft exists and is organized this way to ensure teams that are not doing well acquire those exceptional players to give them a shot at the Cup or at the very least have an entertaining team with outstanding upcoming talent.

We are not one of those teams. When healthy the team is still competitive but with little chance to win the Cup. With a 3 percent chance we just lucked out and have been given a chance to take a potential unanimously recognized best player available and potential game breaker. You don’t give up that opportunity that may not come around for several decades by trading down. Misa level players can be acquired through other transactions throughout the years. No team in their right mind trades a potential franchise player away or skips over them in the draft other than the Islanders (see Dipietro) and that’s been absolutely crazy witnessing this over the years.

 

[Rehabguy]

As a side note. Personally I think we won the 2024 draft as well given the fact nobody took Eiserman until 20 and it happened to be the Isles. What Eiserman can do, shoot the puck and score from anywhere on the ice is exceptional. He’s physical and an above average skater. Paired with a playmaker who can create open ice he will be deadly. Honestly if I had a choice I would take Eiserman over Misa or Hagens because he has a standout skill that exceeds anything these two can do. It’s somewhat one dimensional but it’s a great dimension to have in the NHL. Eiserman holds the historical record for most goals out of anyone coming out of the under 18 US National Development Team and head to head out scored even Celebrini in the scoring race. They think he fell from a pick as high as 5 to 20 because he made a conscious effort with his coach to work and concentrate on his 200 foot game his final year prior to the draft. The Isles have been very fortunate the past couple of years.

 

[Chockey22]

View attachment 1037582
Please no trading down.

I'm generally not in favor of moving down, but this team has so many needs in terms of quality prospects you'd have to listen if a good offer was made. Say, for instance, Utah offered the 4th and Iginla for the 1st (not saying they would), you would absolutely have to consider that offer.

Part of our different take on trading down reflects that we have a difference of opinion on our current prospects. You seem to think Eiserman is elite and better than Hagens and Misa; I happen to think he's a good prospect with an elite shot that has a lot to work on to make the NHL. He's not even close to the level of Hagens or Misa, and I'd trade him in a heartbeat for the chance to draft either one. I don't think a single NHL GM would trade the 3rd pick this year for Eiserman. You are too enamoured of our current prospect pool, which is, even with the addition of Eiserman and Ritchie, piss poor and in need of a major injection of talent. If that is Shaefer, fantastic; if that happened to be Hagens and Iginla (to use my example) even better.

 

[impaaaaaact]

I'm generally not in favor of moving down, but this team has so many needs in terms of quality prospects you'd have to listen if a good offer was made. Say, for instance, Utah offered the 4th and Iginla for the 1st (not saying they would), you would absolutely have to consider that offer.

Part of our different take on trading down reflects that we have a difference of opinion on our current prospects. You seem to think Eiserman is elite and better than Hagens and Misa; I happen to think he's a good prospect with an elite shot that has a lot to work on to make the NHL. He's not even close to the level of Hagens or Misa, and I'd trade him in a heartbeat for the chance to draft either one. I don't think a single NHL GM would trade the 3rd pick this year for Eiserman. You are too enamoured of our current prospect pool, which is, even with the addition of Eiserman and Ritchie, piss poor and in need of a major injection of talent. If that is Shaefer, fantastic; if that happened to be Hagens and Iginla (to use my example) even better.

I know it's just an example but I think Utah would be crazy to move up, and paying Iginla to do it would be insane.

I realistically can only see SJ paying the price to move up, which would probably be a late first this year and something else small-ish. You only make that trade if you're dead set on drafting Misa anyway. In that case it's like, why not get the extra asset?

But no shot a team is trading a guy that they just took at #6. Especially not that franchise and a guy with that last name.

 

[Chockey22]

I know it's just an example but I think Utah would be crazy to move up, and paying Iginla to do it would be insane.

I realistically can only see SJ paying the price to move up, which would probably be a late first this year and something else small-ish. You only make that trade if you're dead set on drafting Misa anyway. In that case it's like, why not get the extra asset?

But no shot a team is trading a guy that they just took at #6. Especially not that franchise and a guy with that last name.

Again, I agree - I highly doubt Utah would make that offer. I’m just saying that you tell teams you’ll listen to offers and if you’re blown away - you absolutely make the deal. If the best offer is the #2 pick plus San Jose’s second first rounder (26) and their second rounder (33), I’d still be pretty tempted. Assuming you’re taking Misa #2, who appears to be not that far below Schafer, those extra assets will really help the retool/rebuild.

 

[doublechili]

I've made it pretty clear that I'm not a fan of Misa based on his videos (and that I'm also just a guy on the internets, so what do I know?), and I'd just take Schaefer. But, does anyone really think that in a draft with a pretty clear #1 player who is a LHD (a huge organizational need), that they're going to pass on him to take a C who is NOT the C who grew up on LI as a fan of the team?

My guess is that it's Schaefer at #1, or they trade down and take Hagens. I know people are going to reply about taking the better player and not the hometown guy, but that's easier said than done in an entertainment business. I'm not saying what they should do, but what they will likely do.

 

[miscs75]

I've made it pretty clear that I'm not a fan of Misa based on his videos (and that I'm also just a guy on the internets, so what do I know?), and I'd just take Schaefer. But, does anyone really think that in a draft with a pretty clear #1 player who is a LHD (a huge organizational need), that they're going to pass on him to take a C who is NOT the C who grew up on LI as a fan of the team?

My guess is that it's Schaefer at #1, or they trade down and take Hagens. I know people are going to reply about taking the better player and not the hometown guy, but that's easier said than done in an entertainment business. I'm not saying what they should do, but what they will likely do.

Speaking of the forwards ranked high, it seems like it’s more of them trying to find faults in Hagens game to satisfy pushing him down in favor of multiple CHL players as usual. Not shocked since this happens every year. They find issues in the US players while propping up the Canadian ones.

 

[NC 1972]

Rock the Kasbah.

The only Clash song you ever heard on the radio, thank God for my phone.

 

[NC 1972]

I don’t think the owners let Lou go with the thought of a long re something. I think the Isles will draft a forward to help the team in the near future.

I’m not saying i would do that but I think that it is what will happen.

Help them in the near future, to do what sneak into a WC spot only to get bounced. It’s not about one player if it were McDavid would have multiple cups. It’s about collecting multiple high end talent and supporting that talent with the proper role players.

 

[scott99]

When draft night comes the Islanders will draft the best player and a franchise level piece for the organization. That player is Schaefer.

Will I be upset they picked Misa? No. But that is not the best player in this draft.

You draft Schaefer because he gives the Islanders a franchise level defenseman. I do not think everyone here realizes just how good he is.

I wouldn’t be upset if they drafted Misa or Hagens, both GREAT prospects. My preference is Schaefer, but I’d be happy with any of those 3 guys.

Hell, a month ago I was wishing we could get Misa or Hagens. Now if we wind up with either of them, people would be pissed ? Insanity.

My preference in order is Schaefer, then Misa and then Hagens. No matter what, I’m gonna be happy draft night, whoever we pick is a great prospect and automatically goes to the top of our prospect’s board.

 

[MJF]

Speaking of the forwards ranked high, it seems like it’s more of them trying to find faults in Hagens game to satisfy pushing him down in favor of multiple CHL players as usual. Not shocked since this happens every year. They find issues in the US players while propping up the Canadian ones.

Like everything else around here, an idle mind….

 

[Glory Days]

Help them in the near future, to do what sneak into a WC spot only to get bounced. It’s not about one player if it were McDavid would have multiple cups. It’s about collecting multiple high end talent and supporting that talent with the proper role players.

By near future I mean 2-3 years. A good GM can turn this thing around with this years first, next years 2 first, Eiserman, plus.

 

[miscs75]

By near future I mean 2-3 years. A good GM can turn this thing around with this years first, next years 2 first, Eiserman, plus.

One year deals for all UFAs this summer and then integrate the kids as necessary once ready. If Palmeri really wants to stay and they want to keep him, one year deals from here on out. If his game tanks, there’s no commitment to him.

 

[Chockey22]

Speaking of the forwards ranked high, it seems like it’s more of them trying to find faults in Hagens game to satisfy pushing him down in favor of multiple CHL players as usual. Not shocked since this happens every year. They find issues in the US players while propping up the Canadian ones.

with all due respect, I think this is borderline conspiracy nonsense. This year, Hagens was a ppg player at Boston College; last year the number one overall Celebrini put up 1.68 ppg in the same league at BU. Hagens is simply not at the same level as previous #1's.