The NY Islanders could take a chance on one of the NHL Draft's most talented players in the second round

The excitement on Long Island is growing, as the NY Islanders will make the first pick in the NHL Draft on Friday for the fourth time in franchise history. The first overall pick, along with the possibility of trading back into the first round to possibly select Matthew Schaefer and James Hagens, are where most people are concentrated, but teams that find diamonds in the rough after the first round are the organizations that typically have the most successful drafts.

The Islanders currently own each of their seven picks this year, and could potentially look to select one of the draft's most talented players in the second round.

The NY Islanders could take a swing on Ivan Ryabkin

Ivan Ryabkin began this season in Russia, bouncing between the MHL and VHL, with a two-game stint in the KHL with Dynamo Moskva.

Considered a top 10 prospect entering the season, Ryabkin struggled in Russia, scoring just once and adding 12 assists through 15 MHL games, after totalling 58 points (24 G, 34 A) in 44 games the previous year - the most ever for a 16-year-old.

Amid his struggles, Ryabkin uprooted his life from Moscow to Muskego, MI, where he joined the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL in early January.

Ryabkin was unable to find his groove from 2023-24 while playing in Russia, but managed to finish with 19 goals and 11 assists in 27 games while playing in the States.

A playmaker in every sense, Ryabkin can thread passes through the narrowest of spaces. He's effective on the man-advantage operating from he half-wall, and has the potential to uncork a one-timer from time to time.

On the defensive end, Ryabkin is willing to throw his body at every opportunity, sometimes leading to his demise as he's frequently found himself in the penalty box from being overaggressive.

Ryabkin's biggest fault is his skating. He has difficulties producing speed through the neutral zone, which could become an issue at the next level as he'll be unable to demonstrate his playmaking abilities if he can't keep up with the pace of play.

The Islanders have taken chances on highly ranked prospects who fell in the draft, like Josh Ho-Sang and Aatu Raty. Neither panned out for the Islanders, but they may be willing to take another swing if they believe Ryabkin can make the transition to the NHL. The Island overall, and there's a strong possibility Ryabkin is still available.