New York Islanders Pros and Cons To Trading Up To Two

Pros

Rasmus Dhalin is the consensus number one overall pick. He’s a franchise-altering defenseman, but in the 2018 draft class it’s a deep draft and you can land an immediate impact player second overall.

Most assume that Andrei Svechnikov, a Right Winger playing for the Barrie Colts in the OHL is the consensus number two pick. This past year he put up 72 points (40 goals, 32 assists) in 44 games this year.

If you’re trading up to two, you’re moving up for him specifically. He’s an elite goal scorer with a big body at six-foot-three 184 pounds. That kind of talent can make an immediate impact on a roster right away.

Since the Islanders have two picks in the first round of the draft they can start by moving both of those picks in a package for the second pick. While the Islanders already have Jordan Eberle, Josh Bailey, Josh Ho-Sang, and Cal Clutterbuck at the position they can certainly benefit from an impact player like Svechnikov.

Acquiring Svechnikov can allow you to bump Josh Bailey onto the third and hopefully create a more consistent line. The third line was a major issue for the team last year. You forward lines can look something like this:

Lee – Tavares – Svechnikov

Ladd – Barzal – Eberle

Bellows – Beauvillier – Bailey

Johnston – Cizikas – Clutterbuck.

Since you were forced to move both first rounders you would now need to use prospects like Josh Ho-Sang, Devon Toews, and Sebastian Aho in a trade. You can also afford to move Brock Nelson if you make this deal as well.