The NHL Draft is always an exciting time for both fans and organizations to see how the future of their team will begin to shape out. The two most glorified parts during the draft are the intriguing first-round selections, and of course, watching NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman walk up to the podium announcing a trade. While those might be more appetizing, the later rounds in the draft have produced some gems, especially for the Islanders themselves. Here are three recent draft steals for the New York Islanders.

Anders Lee: 2009, Round 6, Pick 152:

This was certainly the most obvious choice and the main inspiration for this article. Anders Lee went from being a sixth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame to becoming the captain of the New York Islanders. Ironically, the Islanders did draft two captains in this same exact draft, selecting John Tavares with the first overall pick. Lee has been nothing short of exceptional during his tenure with the Islanders on and off the ice, and a true draft day gem from the 2009 draft.

Devon Toews: 2014 Draft, Round 4, Pick 108

Devon Toews is only in the second year of his NHL career, but his battle to even reach the NHL was a journey itself. Toews played two and a half seasons for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League and suffered a handful of injuries that set him back about half a season. He finally got the call-up last December and has been phenomenal for the New York Islanders since. Toews is solid on both sides of the puck and is debatably the third-best defensemen on the team, not bad for a guy drafted in the middle of the fourth round.

Casey Cizikas: 2009 Draft, Round 4, Pick 92

The 2009 draft class was quite a success for the Islanders as six of the seven players they selected in that draft are still solid NHL players. Casey Cizikas, without a doubt, is one of the most important players on the New York Islanders, both on and off the ice. Without him on the ice, the team just doesn’t have the same overall impact. Cizikas does absolutely everything you’d ever want in a hockey player and is one of the best penalty kill players in the entire league. He has become a key member of the fourth line and plays much more than a normal fourth-liner does.

Some Potential Draft Steals of the Future:

The Islanders have two notable prospects on the brink of being on the NHL roster in defenseman Sebastian Aho and forward Otto Koivula. The Islanders drafted Aho in the fifth round of the 2017 draft and played 22 games in the NHL the season right after he was drafted. The Islanders’ defensive core is loaded, but Aho has the potential to be a valuable piece of the blueline.
Koivula was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, a draft that saw the Islanders take Kieffer Bellows in the first round. Koivula played twelve games with the New York Islanders but has been amazing in the AHL at the young age of 21.
Be on the lookout for both Sebastian Aho and Otto Koivula as the next players to potentially join the list of these hardworking draft steals.

John Smark