NY Islanders Well Represented on NHL Prospect Tiers

An updated NHL prospect tiers list includes multiple New York Islanders players.

Apr 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) looks on against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have an incredibly bright future thanks to what looks to be recent success in NHL drafts.

There are a lot of young prospects in the organizational pipeline to get excited about, with a youth movement on the horizon. Leading the way in that regard is defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

A unanimous selection for the Calder Trophy in the 2025-26 campaign, he has already established himself as one of the best young players in the NHL. That has been solidified by his placement in the NHL prospect tiers shared by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required).

Schaefer is in Tier 1 - MVP and is ranked 1B. The only player above him in the rankings is San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, and scouts believe that the Islanders' young star deserves to be in the top tier.

Matthew Schaefer is one of best prospects in hockey

Apr 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York has a legitimate franchise cornerstone to build around, with Schaefer having top-10 player upside in the NHL. While he is by far their top-ranked prospect, he isn’t the only player under 23 years old in the organization who is drumming up attention.

The next prospect to appear on the list for the Islanders is Malte Gustafsson, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Like Schaefer, he is a left-handed shooting defenseman. He landed in Tier 4 - Star and is a 4B.

Projected to be a high-end top-four defenseman in the NHL, what will elevate his long-term outlook is whether he can improve his offensive ceiling. He has excellent feel to be a two-way contributor, but to be locked in as a top-pairing player, he needs to provide a little more offensively.

Rounding things out, New York has four players who landed in Tier 5 - Support. These are top-150 prospects who can support a championship core but aren’t regarded as irreplaceable pieces within it. Players in this tier are below-average top-line forwards, No. 2 defensemen or above-average starting goalies.

Three of the Islanders' prospects landed in the top of this tier as 5A players: right winger Victor Eklund, center Calum Ritchie and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.

Islanders have deep, talented prospect pipeline

Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Victor Eklund is selected as the 16th overall pick to the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The highest-ranked of the trio is Eklund, who could easily bump into Tier 4 with a little more goal-scoring prowess. His playmaking is excellent, but he needs to provide more than 15-20 goals to land in that star tier.

Ritchie is a great building block for the franchise and showcased real promise during his rookie campaign last year. He is going to help a team win games; the question is, will he be a top player or an elite complementary piece? New York would be thrilled with either.

Aitcheson has the tools to move up a tier also, but is starting to get lost in the shuffle a bit. Like Schaefer and Gustafsson, he is a left-handed shooting defenseman. His development will be fascinating to see unfold given how many young defensemen are in the pipeline.

Last but not least, listed as a 5B player is Cole Eiserman. There is an avenue for him to move up the rankings given his shooting prowess, but he doesn’t offer a whole lot outside of being a sniper.

Goal scorers can rapidly move up the rankings, but if he isn’t providing that, his ceiling is capped compared to other prospects in the tier.