NHL Draft Strategy: Islanders' Decisions and Picks

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00:00NHL draft round one. The Islanders are now on the clock now that the season's over and the Panthers have hoisted the cup.

00:07Now, me and you have discussed this already, George, about what they should do.

00:11I understand taking Schaefer with the first overall pick.

00:15I'm kind of surprised that, at least from like even like an odds makers and a books perspective, that it's already just a done deal.

00:23It's over. Like books have taken it off the board, George.

00:26Like you can't even bet anymore that he's going to be the first pick in the draft.

00:29You can't bet that Mises is going to be the second pick in the draft.

00:33I mean, shut it down, George. Get your Schaefer jerseys ready, I guess, for next Friday, right?

00:39Yeah, and I guess, listen, that's the way most people in the NHL do feel it's going to go here.

00:43And I understand that. But let's not forget, Schaefer didn't play all that much last year.

00:47Got hurt, you know. So I don't think anybody in the NHL truly knows if he's going to be the next, you know, Rasmus Dahlin.

00:54He's going to be next Kael McCarr. What kind of player is he going to be?

00:56You think he's going to be that way, but you can't know for sure.

01:00That being said, from everything we've heard from the Islanders, from everyone, it would be an upset if it wasn't Schaefer going one.

01:07I still think the Islanders might trade down if they get someone to get a little interest in it,

01:10because I think they would like to get more picks here or prospects.

01:13They're not one player away.

01:15But Tom said last segment was so true here.

01:17I don't know if Schaefer's going to play next year, you know, and maybe in two years.

01:22Defensemen take a long time in the NHL to develop.

01:25All right. So he's not so much going to turn around this organization in one year.

01:28Oh, Islanders are a playoff team next year.

01:30Not quite going to be that way.

01:32And I know fans want some offense here.

01:34And passing on Misa would be tough.

01:37It really would be because that guy could add instant offense.

01:40See, that's the thing for me, George.

01:44Like, we have spent so much time over the last 25 years watching these Islander teams that,

01:49like, I watch a guy like Misa, and I see some, and I'm no draft guru, believe me.

01:53We don't watch, it's not like NBA and NFL, where we see these kids a lot in college,

01:58and we know who the top players are.

02:00But, man, I put the Misa tape on, George, and I'm like,

02:03the Islanders haven't had a player like this in forever.

02:07Ever so explosive offensively.

02:10I get taking the sturdy defenseman, and he's going to, he can skate like the wind and all that.

02:16But, oh, it just, it makes you scratch your head, George, that you want to get some offense.

02:21But maybe they trade back up for another because this Akins kid, who's from Long Island,

02:26understands the deal.

02:28He's, the number's four and a half right now, which, a year ago, George, at this time,

02:32he was the number one overall pick.

02:33And now, he's not, might not even go in the top five.

02:37If he's still sitting there at five, George, I'd find a way to maybe get myself back involved.

02:43Yeah, as you already mentioned, here's a lot of noise with Boston.

02:46Boston's at seven, though, and I don't think Higgins falls that far.

02:49So, if the Islanders want to get him, I think it gets more and more interesting,

02:53as what you're sort of insinuating here, the deeper he falls in the draft.

02:56You know, oh, he didn't go three.

02:58He didn't go four.

02:59You know, what can the Islanders do here?

03:00Mike, you and I, we discussed this on Carver and Leasey many times here.

03:04The Islanders had a lot of players they could trade at the deadline that, for whatever reason,

03:07loot it and deal.

03:08Palmieri.

03:09Pajot seems to be the big name that's going on here.

03:11They've got other defensemen here.

03:12They might be able to work out a deal here where they can get someone.

03:15I just don't know if we had five for Higgins.

03:17I don't think it'll be Higgins, but I think they will trade back in.

03:19I don't think it's going on here.

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