NY Islanders Well Represented on Top 100 Prospect List

The New York Islanders have one of the best collections of prospects in the NHL.

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. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have done a magnificent job in recent years of restocking the organizational pipeline with high-end talent.

Leading the way in that regard is defenseman Matthew Schaefer. While he isn’t regarded as a prospect any longer after a record-setting rookie campaign that resulted in a unanimous selection to win the Calder Trophy, the 18-year-old is the face of the franchise and who the team will be built for years to come.

He is far from the only youngster that the Islanders are excited about. There is a group of young, high-upside players who are on the cusp of joining him as impact performers at the NHL level.

The future is bright in New York, evidenced by the Top 100 prospect list that Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has put together. Five Islanders players made the cut, with their 2026 first-round pick, Malte Gustafsson, being the highest-ranked.

Islanders have five players in top 100 prospect rankings

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. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Selected No. 13 overall just a few weeks ago, he is the No. 34-ranked player on the list and the No. 5-ranked left-handed defenseman. Islanders fans are already envisioning the long-term success he can have as a top-line pairing with Schaefer as the defensive-minded two-way player to the superstar’s offensive prowess.

Next on the list is Calum Ritchie. The No. 27 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, he played in 65 games for New York this past season and is ready to burst onto the scene with an increased role this winter.

The No. 14 center on the list, he was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche as part of the return package in the Brock Nelson deal on March 6, 2025.

Right winger Victor Eklund is another player who is in line for a massive role with the Islanders during the 2026-27 season. Anders Lee departing in free agency was allowed, in part, to clear space for the 2025 first-round pick.

Future is incredibly bright for Islanders

Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Kashawn Aitcheson is selected as the 17th overall pick to the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He is No. 43 and the No. 6-ranked right wing. There is a good chance, just as the case is with Ritchie, that Eklund won’t be on this list very long into the season as an established NHL player.

New York is set up incredibly well along the blueline. Kashawn Aitcheson is No. 50 on the top 100 prospects and the No. 9 left-handed defenseman. He was the third first-round pick in 2025 for the Islanders, a draft class that looks like it will be the foundation of the franchise for years to come.

Last but not least, for New York in the top 100 is Cole Eiserman, a left winger who was selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft and is working his way through a collegiate career at Boston University.