NY Islanders Fans May Not Have a Long Wait To See Malte Gustafsson

Malte Gustafsson could be taking the ice with the New York Islanders sooner than some thought.

Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Malte Gustafsson reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and New York Islanders player Matthew Schaefer after being selected with the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Islanders at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected defenseman Malte Gustafsson.

The Islanders’ brain trust has had a clear goal of restocking the blueline talent. Gustafsson is the third defenseman the team has selected in the first round in the last two years, after selecting Matthew Schaefer No. 1 overall and Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17 in the 2025 NHL Draft.

New York also has Isaiah George ready to compete for a spot in the lineup in training camp. Arguably the strongest positional group already at the NHL level, that should continue to be the case for years to come.

Alas, Gustafsson won’t be with the Islanders during the 2026-27 season. He was already under contract with his team in Sweden for the campaign, but fans likely won’t have to wait very long to see him suiting up in orange and blue.

When will Malte Gustafsson play with the Islanders?

Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Malte Gustafsson reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and New York Islanders player Matthew Schaefer after being selected with the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Islanders at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over at NHL.com, Jon Lane shared prospect rankings for the organization. Gustafsson came in at No. 2, behind only forward Victor Eklund, who is pushing for a spot on the Opening Night roster.

Lane had predictions for when each prospect would arrive in the NHL, and he believes the No. 13 overall pick will be with the team by next season. That shouldn’t be all too surprising, despite his youthfulness, based on comments made by Sweden world junior coach Magnus Havelid.

"He's so young, but I think he's a professional," Havelid said. "He looks at himself in the mirror first before he talks to someone else or complains to someone else."

Only 18 years old, he has already signed his entry-level contract with the Islanders, showing some confidence that he is going to move through the ranks rather rapidly. Set for another season in the Swedish Hockey League, Gustafsson is poised to receive a much larger role on the ice.

17-year-old Swedish defender Malte Gustafsson was recently promoted to the SHL, and he's looking very impressive playing at that level

He's one of the best skaters in the 2026 draft, he's a highly effective 1-on-1 defender, and he even has some offensive pop

Some clips (#78): pic.twitter.com/xbwMvP4wh4

— Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) January 24, 2026

While playing for HV71 last season, he averaged only 11:02 minutes of ice time per game. In 27 games played, he had three assists for his only points after playing in 19 games with the junior league team. There, he had four goals and eight assists before the promotion.

"I think he has a good picture of his strengths and what he needs to work on," Havelid added. "When you see a guy like him, he's focused on the right things. Every practice is a good chance for him to learn something new and be a little bit better, step by step. That's, I think, one of the keys."

That is certainly a ringing endorsement for Gustafsson. A hard worker who sounds willing to do the work to reach his potential, fans are already dreaming of him joining Schaefer and Aitcheson as a defensive trio anchoring the team at the blueline.