As the National Hockey League’s 31 clubs are about two weeks through free agency, teams are starting to sign their 2020 draft picks to their entry-level contracts. With the Islanders, they have yet to do that, but that doesn’t mean that their draft class should be ignored. In order to learn a little more about their five picks this year, I reached out to Will Scouch to give some input. Scouch is a McKeen’s Hockey contributor and founder of Scouching, where he takes both aspects of the “eye test” and advanced analytics to give a different perspective on the game to fans, especially focusing on the draft. In this article, you will hear the thoughts of both myself and Scouch on the Islanders 2020 draft class.

Alexander Ljungkrantz – LW, Brynäs IF U20 (J20 Nationell)

Ljungkrantz is a two-way forward who battles along the boards and likes to get into the dirty areas with the goal to come out with the puck. He is a good skater who uses his stride to help protect the puck and has a strong release on his shot. He plays on the man advantage with Brynäs; however, it is unlikely he plays on the power play at the next level. If he makes it to the next level, he would likely slot in as a bottom-six winger who will be a regular on the penalty kill.

Scouch adds on the Islanders’ third-round selection in the 2020 draft, “I’ve seen a bit of Alexander Ljungkrantz and I was never over the moon with what he could do, but he drove good two-way impacts and could be an energy player if things work out.”

Alex Jefferies – LW, The Gunnery (HS-CT)

Dufour is a power forward who likes to drive to the net, with or without the puck. If he does have the puck, he can use one of his best attributes in his shot, but if he doesn’t he gets in front of the net, screening goalies, tipping in pucks, and fighting for rebounds. He is more of a shooter than a passer which is rare for a power forward, he likes to protect the puck and use his size to battle on the boards. He also plays on the penalty kill and is able to interfere with the play using his long stick.

Scouch was impressed with the next two picks for the Islanders, saying that “William Dufour is an aggressive power player with some skill deep in the offensive zone. I don’t expect huge things out of him but I think he could be a role player in the NHL, and he was really good value at 152nd overall.”

Matias Rajaniemi – D, Pelicans (Liiga)

Rajaniemi is a bigger defenseman who got significant minutes during his draft year in Finland’s top league, the Liiga. He is strong on both sides of the puck, as he has a strong shot from the point which allows for him to be a key player on the man advantage. On defense, he uses his size to his advantage and gets involved in the play. The one aspect of his game that needs the most work is his skating, and if he can add some more quickness, he could become an even more well-rounded player.

The second of two picks that Scouch was impressed with, he spoke well of the Islanders’ sixth-round pick. “Matias Rajaniemi is very young, but a very big player and has some good defensive instincts and ability. He’s an okay skater for his size too, and some much worse players were off the board much earlier. Not a guy I was begging for, but he’s solid in his own end with nice flashes and managed to get himself into the Liiga”

Henrik Tikkanen – G, IPK (Mestis)

Drafting a goalie toward the end of the draft is always questionable, and when the goalie is big, it adds another level to it. Tikkanen relies on his size, and he needs to improve on his reaction time. He has strong reflexes, and he will definitely take time to develop, playing this season in Finland’s second-tier league, the Mestis.

Scouch seemed to agree with the thought of goalies at the end of the draft, including the Islanders 2020 seventh-round pick. ” Well, Henrik Tikkanen is a weird one, but if they like him, he’s a goalie so who knows. A 19-year-old who played in a U-20 league last year and was sub-.900 doesn’t strike me as particularly promising and now he’s playing against men in the Finnish second division and has had an even tougher time. You never know, he’s huge, and I question when goalies are that big but the Islanders have great goaltending coaches, so who knows.”

Special thanks to Will Scouch for his input on the Islanders 2020 draft class, and look for more content surroundings both the Islanders’ newest prospects and players who are returning to the system for another year in the future!

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