The NY Islanders select Vladimir Dravecky with pick No. 141 of the 2026 NHL Draft

The NY Islanders continue their streak of adding defensemen, selecting right-shot Vladimir Dravecky with pick No. 141 of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Dravecky spent last season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, scoring nine goals and adding 19 assists across 58 games.

Born in the United States but raised in Czechia, Dravecky represented the Czechs at the 2026 World Junior Championship, failing to register a point in seven games on the road to a Silver Medal.

Before joining Brantford, Dravecky appeared in 16 games in the Slovak Extraliga, the top league in Slovakia, before moving to the Swedish U20 league, making two appearances in the SHL.

A bit undersized, measuring just under 6'0", on the offensive end, Dravecky's game is well-rounded. He's a playmaker with good hands, looking to draw defender stowards his before looking to dish off a pass to an open teammate. He is a good skater with good instincts. He lacks physicality for a defenseman and is a bit inconsistent in his breakouts. "He clearly has the offensive vision and instincts to be a productive blueliner at this level, but he'll have to refine his retrievals and breakouts under pressure moving forward," says Lauren Kelly of Elite Prospects.

Earlier this month, Dravecky was traded from Brampton to the Guelph Storm, where he'll spend the 2026-27 season, as Guelph is building its roster for the Memorial Cup as the hosts next season.

While players in the CHL have been making the jump to teh NCAA, Dravecky is wise to spend his remaining seasons playing junior hockey rather than at the Collegiate level, rounding out his game with players in his age pool.

After taking two defensive-minded defensemen, the Islanders elected to go with more pop in the offensive zone along the blue line.

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