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A deeper look at the newest NY Islanders' prospect Malte Gustafsson

ByMichael Stahurski|
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Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Malte Gustafsson reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and New York Islanders player Matthew Schaefer after being selected with the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Islanders at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Malte Gustafsson reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and New York Islanders player Matthew Schaefer after being selected with the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Islanders at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

When the NY Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer and Kashawn Aitcheson last summer, they added two players with high offensive upside. Last night, they made an addition that could pay dividends within their own zone. Malte Gustafsson, a 6'4" defenseman, brings physicality and a unique ability to close in on puck carriers.

While he's no Schaefer gliding up and down the ice, Gustafsson uses his skating to defend on the rush, with Elite Prospects ranking him the best neutral zone defender in this year's draft class. Along with his size, he uses an incredibly long stick, extending his reach to break up plays before they even make it across the blue line.

A two-way defender, he's earned comparisons to Mattias Samuelsson and Simon Edvisson, while saying he models his game after Victor Hedman.

The NY Rangers surprised everyone, selecting Alberts Smits over Chase Reid with the fifth overall pick, but some executives believe Gustafsson could have even more upside than Smits. “Now, I think that someone like Malte Gustafsson has a lot more upside than Šmits, even though I see Šmits ranked ahead of him," an Eastern Conference Executive told Elite Prospects.

Gustafsson calls himself annoying on the ice, as Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported after speaking with the No. 13 overall pick. When asked what make shim annoying, Gustafsson responded, "hitting people."

Drafting Gustafsson, the Isles add to a crowded left side of the blue line within the prospect pool, but that doesn't appear to bother Mathieu Darche.

"Malte is a 6'4.5, 200 lb defenseman. Very strong skater for his size, moves the puck, likes to play physical, hard to play against," Darche said. "You can never have enough defensemen, good defensemen."

The Islanders don't make a selection until the fourth round tomorrow, but Darche mentioned he has been working teh phones tirelessly, so perhaps we could see the Islanders move into rounds two or three as day two gets started.

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