The Periferal [Not Dead] Official 2026 NHL Draft Thread (June 26-27)

[periferal]

I would not disappointed with that, this feels like a deeper draft. Just as an example, 6'3" Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits is having a nice season against men in the top Finnish league and is still considered anywhere from a 10-50 pick.

There are diamonds in the rough if your homework is done.

Well of course. This is why of all the changes made over the past 6 months, the one more thing I'd pray for the Isles to do is upgrade the scouting departments. If you can't draft, you won't win. Period.

So yes - I do believe a great player could be obtained with Colorado's pick no matter where it lands, but obviously the higher up it is the greater the chance of it being a successful pick.

Also if the pick was higher that holds more weight in case Darche wants to trade it.

Overall just hoping Colorado slides back to earth and magically the pick winds up in the teens.

Isn't that pick protected anyway? But yeah, I think we all kind of accepted that was going to be 25-32 when that trade was made. Still should be a solid B to B+ prospect though, and will let us continue adding quality depth. Something our system has lacked for a long time.

Yes - Colorado's pick is top 10 protected. Not that it'll happen, but if it wound up being #11 then that would be beyond amazing for us.

 

[danteipp]

Well of course. This is why of all the changes made over the past 6 months, the one more thing I'd pray for the Isles to do is upgrade the scouting departments. If you can't draft, you won't win. Period.

So yes - I do believe a great player could be obtained with Colorado's pick no matter where it lands, but obviously the higher up it is the greater the chance of it being a successful pick.

Also if the pick was higher that holds more weight in case Darche wants to trade it.

Overall just hoping Colorado slides back to earth and magically the pick winds up in the teens.




Yes - Colorado's pick is top 10 protected. Not that it'll happen, but if it wound up being #11 then that would be beyond amazing for us.

Let's be nice to Colorado and let it be the 17th overall pick. They qualify for the playoffs but are bounced first and ultimately the lowest seed. That seems fair to me.

 

[periferal]

Let's be nice to Colorado and let it be the 17th overall pick. They qualify for the playoffs but are bounced first and ultimately the lowest seed. That seems fair to me.

My man. Exactly. That would be perfectly fair.

 

[Kevin27nyi]

If we fall enough but not to McKenna I’d like Ethan Belchetz if we’re around pick 4-7.

I think we’ll need a big power forward to replace Lee and this guy looks like he could put 30 in the net and can chuck em.

 

[NYI365]

To win the Stanley Cup you need to have a couple of franchise players. Islanders have not had a franchise player since the 80s. The closest thing since then would be Palffy and Tavares. Now with Schaefer they may have finally found a franchise player but you need at least another one if you’re going to compete for the Stanley Cup. Barzal is not that guy. Very good hockey player but his lack of goal scoring ability is the main reason why he’s not a top tier player. Maybe the islanders got lucky with Eiserman we will see as his shot and goal scoring ability looks to be top tier. Watching him at BU this season he looks faster then last season and stronger on the puck. He has some pretty good chemistry with Hutson and Ritchie. Hopefully we will see that Barzal and Schaefer.

I love this post, hits the nail on the head to a tee. All of the consistent winners of the last 20ish years follow this formula.

Crosby+Malkin+Letang (Fleury)
Kopitar+Doughty (Quick)
Toews+Kane+Keith (Hossa)
Kucherov+Hedman+Vasy (Stamkos, Point)
MacKinnon+Makar (Rantanen)
Barkov+Tkachuk+Bob (Playoff Sam Bennett)

If we have Schaefer, we need at least one Franchise Forward imo, and ideally a C at that

 

[TeamKidd]

Honestly - how much of drafting is luck vs how much is skill? I mean if you knew Brayden Point was going to be Brayden Point...would you really have waited til the 3rd round to pick him?

 

[Zeeker]

I love this post, hits the nail on the head to a tee. All of the consistent winners of the last 20ish years follow this formula.

Crosby+Malkin+Letang (Fleury)
Kopitar+Doughty (Quick)
Toews+Kane+Keith (Hossa)
Kucherov+Hedman+Vasy (Stamkos, Point)
MacKinnon+Makar (Rantanen)
Barkov+Tkachuk+Bob (Playoff Sam Bennett)

If we have Schaefer, we need at least one Franchise Forward imo, and ideally a C at that

Schaefer + Romano (Hood)

 

[JadedRandom]

If we fall enough but not to McKenna I’d like Ethan Belchetz if we’re around pick 4-7.

I think we’ll need a big power forward to replace Lee and this guy looks like he could put 30 in the net and can chuck em.

I think the Islanders would be the type of franchise to draft a guy like Ethan Belchetz in-between 4-to-7, but I personally think it would be a mistake to select him that high.

Belchetz's hockey sense is "above-average" in my eyes compared to the NHL standard, but I don't know if it would be good enough for him to be a strong offensive player even in the pros.

Succinctly, I think there could be higher-end players available than Belchetz where the Islanders would select in case they didn't win the McKenna sweepstakes (Verhoeff, Stenberg, Roobroeck, Lawrence, Lin, etc.).

Carson Carels is a guy that has impressed me a lot defensively this year, and whom I think is quite underrated right now by scouting sources.

I'd have Carels 12th on my list right now and rising. And I know the Islanders are more set on D than they are at F for the future, but if they managed to swing Colorado's pick + other picks into a Carson Carels selection I think that they would have pulled-off a massive coup.

I see Carson Carels in the same kind of light as I did Jake Sanderson back in the day, although Carels has lesser tools overall than Sanderson did and so doesn't project to be as dominant in the NHL.

 

[leeroggy]

I think the Islanders would be the type of franchise to draft a guy like Ethan Belchetz in-between 4-to-7, but I personally think it would be a mistake to select him that high.

Belchetz's hockey sense is "above-average" in my eyes compared to the NHL standard, but I don't know if it would be good enough for him to be a strong offensive player even in the pros.

Succinctly, I think there could be higher-end players available than Belchetz where the Islanders would select in case they didn't win the McKenna sweepstakes (Verhoeff, Stenberg, Roobroeck, Lawrence, Lin, etc.).

Carson Carels is a guy that has impressed me a lot defensively this year, and whom I think is quite underrated right now by scouting sources.

I'd have Carels 12th on my list right now and rising. And I know the Islanders are more set on D than they are at F for the future, but if they managed to swing Colorado's pick + other picks into a Carson Carels selection I think that they would have pulled-off a massive coup.

I see Carson Carels in the same kind of light as I did Jake Sanderson back in the day, although Carels has lesser tools overall than Sanderson did and so doesn't project to be as dominant in the NHL.

Let's say we are 10 and 30.

Rudolph RD
Holmertz C / Hulbert F

We HAVE to take advantage of the RD's in the 1st round. Not only are there a number of them, but they are sprinkled in the rankings right now, wo we should be getting one without reaching.

Of course, if we somehow grab Verhoeff, I'd be offering Colorado's 1st for the Hawks 2nds (currently 39, 48 and 50) . . . 30 for 39 and 48 or 50 works for me.

 

[JadedRandom]

Let's say we are 10 and 30.

Rudolph RD
Holmertz C / Hulbert F

We HAVE to take advantage of the RD's in the 1st round. Not only are there a number of them, but they are sprinkled in the rankings right now, wo we should be getting one without reaching.

Of course, if we somehow grab Verhoeff, I'd be offering Colorado's 1st for the Hawks 2nds (currently 39, 48 and 50) . . . 30 for 39 and 48 or 50 works for me.

Rudolph is good, so is Chase Reid.

But I really don't know if the Islanders will be in a draft-ranking slot at the end of the year where drafting an RHD makes sense.

If the Islanders are drafting 4-6 for example, then I don't think taking a right defenseman would be wise unless they trade back.

One thing that may work out in the Isles' favor is that the 2026 Draft may be weak when it comes to the centers at the top of the draft, but on wing and at defense there is quite a bit of depth throughout.

There could be players in the second or third round that kind of fly under the radar but would be nice grabs for the Isles ar RD.

Aside from that, I just think the Islanders are in a position where simply drafting for the best prospect available is the way to go.

The Isles are simply in an earlier phase of their rebuild than teams like Utah and Detroit are, who can afford to draft to round-out their prospect pool/roster rather than pure BPA at every pick.

 

[leeroggy]

Rudolph is good, so is Chase Reid.

But I really don't know if the Islanders will be in a draft-ranking slot at the end of the year where drafting an RHD makes sense.

If the Islanders are drafting 4-6 for example, then I don't think taking a right defenseman would be wise unless they trade back.

One thing that may work out in the Isles' favor is that the 2026 Draft may be weak when it comes to the centers at the top of the draft, but on wing and at defense there is quite a bit of depth throughout.

There could be players in the second or third round that kind of fly under the radar but would be nice grabs for the Isles ar RD.

At 4-6, that's a really tough trade back. Based on current standings, only Boston and Chicago make sense. 10 and 18 or 11 and 16. Do you turn down Lawrence of Roobroeck?

One thing in our favor this eyar is that Ottawa (currently #5) had to forfeit their #1 this year.

 

[seabass45]

Let's say we are 10 and 30.

Rudolph RD
Holmertz C / Hulbert F

We HAVE to take advantage of the RD's in the 1st round. Not only are there a number of them, but they are sprinkled in the rankings right now, wo we should be getting one without reaching.

Of course, if we somehow grab Verhoeff, I'd be offering Colorado's 1st for the Hawks 2nds (currently 39, 48 and 50) . . . 30 for 39 and 48 or 50 works for me.

I agree on RD. Maybe I’m missing something but it feels like the situation is really dire, and you either figure that out in trades, which can be difficult, or you replenish the prospect pool through the draft. Decent chance we draft in a spot where RD might just be BPA or close to it.

 

[Konk]

If we pick in the mid teens, Verhoeff, Lin, Rudolph, and Reid will be gone. I suppose there's Piiparinen, but Schairer is a guy that can skate, play shutdown D, and will likely be available late in the first round. Outside of that, I really like Ben Reisnecker on Niagara for a mid-round pick. Harris Pangretitisch has intriguing tools as well, another mid-to-late pick.

That said, I keep coming back to the centers. Rogowski is a favorite in the OHL and I love Hextall in the USHL. Two kids that play smart, all-around games. Rogowski is a huge power forward that has really taken a step forward offensively this year. His skating and mobility for his size are very good and he has a lot of untapped offensive potential. Hextall is one of the smartest players I've seen play out of this class and a really slick playmaker.

I know everyone is hyperfocused on RHD, but expand your horizons, there are a lot of exciting prospects in this class.

 

[doublechili]

Someone should start a 2027 draft thread, because we'll probably have a few picks in the first couple of rounds in that one too.

 

[Arsenalogist24]

Someone should start a 2027 draft thread, because we'll probably have a few picks in the first couple of rounds in that one too.

Good evening fellow Landon DuPont fans

 

[leeroggy]

A lot of us look at the Elite Prospects website and this popped up on my YouTube today:

 

[Islesfan22]

This video came out 3 weeks ago.

 

[periferal]

If we pick in the mid teens, Verhoeff, Lin, Rudolph, and Reid will be gone. I suppose there's Piiparinen, but Schairer is a guy that can skate, play shutdown D, and will likely be available late in the first round. Outside of that, I really like Ben Reisnecker on Niagara for a mid-round pick. Harris Pangretitisch has intriguing tools as well, another mid-to-late pick.

That said, I keep coming back to the centers. Rogowski is a favorite in the OHL and I love Hextall in the USHL. Two kids that play smart, all-around games. Rogowski is a huge power forward that has really taken a step forward offensively this year. His skating and mobility for his size are very good and he has a lot of untapped offensive potential. Hextall is one of the smartest players I've seen play out of this class and a really slick playmaker.

I know everyone is hyperfocused on RHD, but expand your horizons, there are a lot of exciting prospects in this class.

I mean 100% the philosophy should ALWAYS be...

DRAFT BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Imagine being on the clock and the next Kurcherov is there, but you're set on offense so you draft for need and take a D. How insane is that?

And for those that say, "But how are you supposed to know when when next Kucherov?" Well that's what scouts get paid to do. Yes - Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but when it comes to drafting there are teams that continually get it right...And teams that continually get it wrong. And that is no accident.

I'm hoping that Darche recognizes this and is going to continually revamp the scouting department until it is one of the best in the NHL.

If you don't draft well, you won't win. This literally needs to be top priority for Darche.

 

[periferal]

If we pick in the mid teens, Verhoeff, Lin, Rudolph, and Reid will be gone. I suppose there's Piiparinen, but Schairer is a guy that can skate, play shutdown D, and will likely be available late in the first round. Outside of that, I really like Ben Reisnecker on Niagara for a mid-round pick. Harris Pangretitisch has intriguing tools as well, another mid-to-late pick.

That said, I keep coming back to the centers. Rogowski is a favorite in the OHL and I love Hextall in the USHL. Two kids that play smart, all-around games. Rogowski is a huge power forward that has really taken a step forward offensively this year. His skating and mobility for his size are very good and he has a lot of untapped offensive potential. Hextall is one of the smartest players I've seen play out of this class and a really slick playmaker.

I know everyone is hyperfocused on RHD, but expand your horizons, there are a lot of exciting prospects in this class.

I know it's still early, but by the looks of things now Verhoeff isn't going to drop past #3.

 

[periferal]

Someone should start a 2027 draft thread, because we'll probably have a few picks in the first couple of rounds in that one too.

Well I really hope we get as many picks in 2026 as possible. Aside from looking like a better draft, it's also a year sooner so the prospects will be a year ahead.

That said there better be a few extra picks in 26 and/or 27. To still have the same amount of picks in either draft come March would be a monumental failure by Darche.

 

[leeroggy]

[/QUOTE]

I mean 100% the philosophy should ALWAYS be...

DRAFT BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Imagine being on the clock and the next Kurcherov is there, but you're set on offense so you draft for need and take a D. How insane is that?

And for those that say, "But how are you supposed to know when when next Kucherov?" Well that's what scouts get paid to do. Yes - Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but when it comes to drafting there are teams that continually get it right...And teams that continually get it wrong. And that is no accident.

I'm hoping that Darche recognizes this and is going to continually revamp the scouting department until it is one of the best in the NHL.

If you don't draft well, you won't win. This literally needs to be top priority for Darche.

But when you get down to 15, BPA is more opinion than fact, and if the choice is a position of need versus not, need has to triumph

 

[doublechili]

Well I really hope we get as many picks in 2026 as possible. Aside from looking like a better draft, it's also a year sooner so the prospects will be a year ahead.

That said there better be a few extra picks in 26 and/or 27. To still have the same amount of picks in either draft come March would be a monumental failure by Darche.

I mentioned '27 mostly because 9 teams have already traded their 1st round pick in '26, so there will be less of those to go around at the TDL. Right now the Isles have all of their picks in '27 - a pick in every round. For '26 they have two in the 1st round and zero in the 2nd round. So, realistically I can see Darche getting one (or two) 2nd round picks in '26 and an additional 1st round pick (or two?) in '27.

 

[seafoam]

Man, I am in love with Ivar Stenberg.

 

[doublechili]

Man, I am in love with Ivar Stenberg.

Yeah, me too (maybe not in the same way ). He's putting up great numbers so far in the SHL (Viggo too, to a lesser extent). It seems like there are a lot of good forwards in this draft - to the point where I'm not sure it would be worth the risk to use a top 10 pick on a defenseman not named Schaefer.

 

[seafoam]

Stenberg can play both wings, has the ability to bounce off of checks similar to Schaefer, and is most importantly producing against men. He's been listed around 5'10" which I have no concern about. I can't really nail down a comparison at this point, there are so many stars that he can look like on a given shift.