The NY Islanders select forward Kamil Bednarik 61st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft

With their second pick in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the NY Islanders selected forward Kamil Bednarik 61st overall.

A member of the USNTDP, Bednarik plays well in all three zones. A potential shutdown center at some point in the future, Bednarik can find the score sheet and is projected as a future third-line center - a possible replacement for JG Pageau (further down the line).

Bednarik put up 95 points (37 G, 58 A) in 88 games this season with the USNTDP. He'll play alongside teammate and Islanders first-round pick Cole Eiserman next year at Boston University under Jay Pandolfo.

What the Islanders hope to get out of Bednarik in the future is what he's best known for. Consistency. He's not going to wow anybody with flashes of brilliance, but he's the type of player who'll put forward 100% effort every shift, knows his role, and plays it well.

Not ranked very high on any particular set of skills, Bednarik has an incredibly high motor and compete level. That's not to say he's incapable of flashing offense once in a while, as it's difficult to average over a point per game at any level as he did with the USNTDP.

"He's a skilled passer, capable of hitting one-touch feeds and making plays off the backhand," said Elite Prospects Director of North American Scouting, Mitch Brown via their draft guide (paid subscription). "He's not deceptive or dynamic consistently, but there's enough flashes to believe he could take off when given more of a driving role."

Surely a few years away from even being considered to fight for a roster spot with the Islanders, Bednarik has a strong base, and will look to improve his overall game at BU. He's a safe pick and gives the Islanders some much-needed depth at center within their prospect pool.