The NY Islanders select defenseman Malte Gustafsson with the 13th pick of the 2026 NHL Draft

Over the past two drafts, the NY Islanders have selected a left-handed defenseman, as Matthew Schaefer announced the organization was selecting Malte Gustafsson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Gustafsson, a towering 6'4" defenseman out of Sweden, might not have the upside of the blue liners selected before him, but he perhaps has the highest floor. A shutdown defenseman, it's likely he will become a top-four defenseman with the potential to have a long career on the top pair.

His physicality is through the roof, closing down on rushing forwards through the neutral zone and holding his own within his own zone. While his offense has some catching up to do to reach the level of his defensive acumen, he's no slouch. He's a good puck carrier, and though he didn't have an impressive offensive output this season, he's been improving with each season.

Gustafsson spent most of the season playing in the SHL, one of the top leagues in the world, but with one of the league's worst teams. In 27 games, he failed to score and added three assists.

One of Gustafsson's top qualities is his ability to think the game on his feet and his maturity, taking risks when he feels a play is available, but scaling it back when he needs to.

The Islanders are currently loaded on the left side of the blue line, but Gustafsson recently signed a one-year extension with HV-71 in Sweden, meaning he'll have another season to develop his game in Europe.

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