Islanders Seven Round NHL 2021 Mock Draft

The New York Islanders don’t have a first-round pick tonight, so the NHL Draft won’t have that important feel that it used to in the early 2010s for Isles fans. Still, they have six picks in this class from rounds two through seven.

With names like Anders Lee, Casey Cizikas, Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and Ilya Sorokin playing prominent roles on the Islanders we know that you can find some gems outside of the first round.

So what I wanted to do was a mock draft of the Isles picks. For this exercise I used draftprospectshockey.com. Let’s get into the picks:

Round 2 Pick 51: Chase Stillman – RW

Chase Stillman is a power forward Right Wing at six-foot-one and 183 pounds. After playing in the OHL in 2019-2020, Stillman took his talents to Denmark last year playing U20 and putting up some big production in a small sample size.

He had 16 points including nine goals in just eight games! Playing against kids a lot older than him, that’s pretty impressive no matter how you slice it.

Ben Kerr of Last Word On Sports had this to say about Stillman’s game:

"Stillman plays a power forward style. He loves to drive the net, both with and without the puck. Stillman can finish when he gets there with the soft hands to make a move and get the puck over the goalie as well the hand-eye coordination for deflections and pounce on rebounds. He gets in on the forecheck quickly, pressuring defenders into mistakes and gaining control of the puck. Stillman is a real pest. He creates havoc in front of the net as well as controlling the puck well in the cycle game."

Tell me that doesn’t sound like a Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello player.

Round 3 Pick 92: Oliver Kapanen – C

Oliver Kapanen, the cousin of Kasperi Kapanen of the Penguins, is a center with a lethal shot. Playing U20 over in Finland put up 25 goals in just 37 games. What would Lou and Barry like about him besides the goal scoring? Well, he has a strong forecheck and backcheck and plays well without the puck already at a young age.

Marc Bombino, who covers Finnish Junior Hockey, had this to say about Kapaenen:

"“A talented goal-scorer, he has a quick and precise wrist shot that can catch goalies off guard, and his one-timer is powerful and whippy. He is smooth with the puck and can protect it well. The skill and quality in his shooting and puck handling is evident. Moreover, his situational awareness is very good. He reads the game well, both with and without the puck, and he can anticipate from time to time. His decision making is sound in all three zones.”"

Round 4 Pick 124: Jack Matier – RD

Due to COVID, Jack Matier did not get to play in the OHL in 2021 but in 2019-2020, he had nine assists in 56 games. Don’t ever expect Matier to give much offense, if he’s able to make it to the next level.

He’s a strictly defensive defenseman. At six-foot-four 205 lbs, he’s someone you’d imagine would use his size to his advantage

Josh Tessler of Smaht Hockey had this to say about Matier:

"He is not a two-way defenseman, but has shown that he is a capable of delivering a breakout pass to key up a rush. In addition, I haven’t seen many offensive defenseman traits in his game. Matier truly shines when defending in the neutral zone and his own zone."

Round 5 Pick 156: Thomas Milic – G

In the fifth round, I have the Islanders selecting a goalie to add to the mix in Thomas Milic. Milic is a tad smaller in stature at six-foot and 170 pounds. He’s a proficient goalie and should add much-needed depth to the system.

In nine games with the Seattle Thunderbirds last season, Milic went 5-4 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.74 goals against average.

Round 6 Pick 182: Jake Chiasson – RW

Chiasson is a Right Wing who possesses a sneaky shot. At six-foot-one and just 165 pounds, he could afford to put on a few pounds as he continues to grow into his body. Last year in the WHL, he played in 23 games for the Brandon Wheat Kings putting up nine goals and 20 points.

Round 7 Pick 220: Ty Murchinson – LD

At six-foot-two and 192 pounds, Murchinson is a physical defenseman who plays on the left side. Playing for the US18 team, Murchinson put up 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 48 games. Here’s what Elite Prospects had to say about his game:

"Murchison’s two defining skills are skating and physicality. Whether he’s skating back on a retrieval or closing space, he’s always looking to use contact to get the puck on his stick"