The Islanders didn’t have much room to maneuver at the 2026 NHL Draft, which made every pick feel a little heavier. With only five selections and just one inside the top 100, New York had to squeeze value out of the board wherever it could.
That’s where Vladimir Dravecky comes in.
The Islanders grabbed the 18-year-old right-shot defenseman in the fifth round with the 141st overall pick, a move that fits the team’s clear need on the back end. A right-shot D prospect was already viewed as the most obvious hole in the organization’s pipeline, and Dravecky checked that box with some upside attached.
Last season with the Brantford Bulldogs, Dravecky put up nine goals and 28 points in 58 games. He also added three assists in 11 playoff games. On the international stage, he recorded five assists in 11 games with the Czechia U20 team, though he was held scoreless at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
At draft time, the buzz around Dravecky centered on value. People saw a player with work ethic, drive and a chance to outplay his draft slot over time. The praise didn’t stop there.
Hamilton coach McKee was especially high on what he saw during camp, and that kind of feedback only added to the belief that the Islanders may have found something here. While one day of camp is a tiny sample, the response was strong enough to leave a real impression.
After rookie and training camp, Dravecky is expected to report to the OHL’s Guelph Storm, who made a major trade with the Bulldogs in June.
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Now comes the harder part: turning a promising debut into a season that changes how the rest of the league talks about him. A leap into elite offensive territory would naturally push Schaefer into bigger honors conversation, and theres already been some chatter about what kind of scoring pace could put him there. Still, its early to start drawing award conclusions for a young player just establishing his place, even if the ceiling looks awfully high. [Read more 🡒]