The Islanders may not have landed a headline-grabbing haul in the 2026 NHL Draft, but two of their picks are already giving the organization reason to feel better about the long game.
With only one selection in the first three rounds, New York’s front office had to do more digging than usual. That search turned up two prospects who have opened preseason play in Europe with real momentum: defenseman Malte Gustafsson and center Artyom Matyuk.
Gustafsson, the 13th overall pick, gives the Islanders another left-shot defenseman to stash in the system. The position wasn’t a glaring need, but New York viewed him as the best player available when it was on the clock.
The 6-foot-4 blue liner is back with HV 71 in Sweden’s SHL, where he has a chance to push his way into a top-four role in one of Europe’s stronger leagues. He picked up his first preseason goal in a recent game against Almtuna, a small but encouraging step after going scoreless in 27 SHL games last season.
For Gustafsson, the next stretch is about showing more offense before eventually making the jump to North America.
Matyuk has been even hotter. Selected in the sixth round, the little-known center is skating for Chaika Nizhny Novgorod in Russia’s MHL, the junior level equivalent to North America’s junior hockey. He’s also become one of the Islanders’ more interesting center prospects by default, given how thin the organization is at the position.
So far, the results have been hard to miss. Matyuk has put up five points in three preseason games, including a slick top-shelf finish from an almost impossible angle.
One highlight showed just how quickly his hands can turn a tight chance into a goal. His track record in junior hockey hasn’t exactly screamed star potential, but the skill is there, and the Islanders are hoping it eventually translates to the NHL or AHL, even if that takes a couple of years.
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Players and their families were on hand, underscoring that this was more than a photo opportunity and more than just another offseason appearance. For the Islanders, the event also served as another reminder of how closely the club and Northwell Health have tied themselves to supporting Long Island students, even as the details of this years effort keep that partnership moving in a familiar direction. [Read more 🡒]