One ideal prospect we would like to see fall to the NY Islanders in the NHL Draft

Few NHL organizations need to focus on rebuilding their prospects pool more than the NY Islanders and the 2024 NHL Draft could be kind to them if a projected top-15 pick fell to them at 20th overall. And it’s not a farfetched concept, as we see surprise picks in the draft all the time, and that leads to at least one, and often more, players dropping further than many experts believed. 

While several prospects could drop to the Isles at 20th overall, which one would be the ideal freefaller? After giving this one a lot of careful thought, I rolled with Beckett Sennecke, who, per Tankathon as of June 16th, is projecting the Oshawa Generals product to the Detroit Red Wings at 15th overall. 

If he’s there for the taking at 15th come June 28th, Sennecke only needs to drop another five spots, and he’ll be in the Islanders system if general manager Lou Lamoriello decides to roll with him. But really, Sennecke would be an excellent addition, starting with his solid points productivity. 

Why the NY Islanders would want to land Beckett Sennecke in the NHL Draft

For starters, Beckett Sennecke’s length jumps out, as he’s already 6’3, with a few more years left to grow. Add that excellent length with a sound 55 points and 20 goals in 61 regular season games in 2022-23 and 68 points and 27 goals in 63 contests this past year, and you have a consistent player whose production will only keep getting better the longer he stays in the OHL. 

Points aside, Sennecke is currently about 180 pounds, giving him a lot of room to build muscle and strength. And when that occurs, somebody (maybe the Isles) will have a physical power forward in their respective system, something Matthew Zador of The Hockey Writers mentioned a few times in a recent scouting report. 

That would line up with the Isles identity, even if Sennecke realistically wouldn’t see NHL ice until most likely the 2027-28 season - two more years in the OHL, and at least a full year in the AHL. Overall, if Sennecke fell and Lou Lamoriello selected him at No. 20, he could even be a top-five prospect heading into the season and one to keep tabs on while he continues to develop in Oshawa. 

(Statistics powered by Elite Prospects)