LAS VEGAS — There were no trades waiting for the Islanders in the first round of this NHL draft.
Instead, for the first time since 2019, general manager Lou Lamoriello stepped up to the microphone to announce the first-round picks.
The Islanders selected Cole Yzerman 20th overall, instantly elevating the USA National Team Development Program scoring record-setting Boston College-bound product to the team’s top prospect status, though questions remain about the left winger’s potential make-or-break nature.
“I’m definitely a shooter that loves to score,” Yzerman said, “I’m going to come in with a positive attitude and definitely a competitive mindset. As time goes on, I’m definitely going to get more physical and use my body a lot more.”
The 17-year-old Newburyport, Massachusetts native was one of the most intriguing prospects leading up to this draft.
A year ago, some analysts projected him as one of the top five players in the draft, but a season in which Yzerman averaged more than a point per game but struggled defensively and moving away from the puck saw the Islanders drop to 20th in their rankings as a potential acquirer for him.
“We thought pretty highly of him, so we were excited that he was there when we made our pick,” general manager Lou Lamoriello said, “That’s all we can say. Everybody has their own preferences as to whether or not guys fall, but we were looking for a certain type of player and we got that.”
Lamoriello also said the Islanders would not trade away the No. 20 pick, a departure from recent trades but also from the trade deadline in March, when they said they had a first-round pick available. (The Islanders traded away the No. 18 pick along with a second-round pick to move up to No. 20 overall for an additional second-round pick.)
This isn’t the first time the Isles have acquired a low-major NTDP prospect with a knack for scoring, and Yzerman has compared Isles to Oliver Wahlstrom, who appears to have finished his stint with the team this year.
However, there are some important differences:
First, Yzerman is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft and has plenty of room to grow.
And secondly, while Wahlstrom was known as a sniper, scoring 48 goals in 62 games in the NTDP’s final season, Yzerman’s scoring is on an entirely different level.
He has played in 57 NTDP games this season, recording 58 points and 31 assists and currently holds the NTDP career goal record with 127 goals.
In short, Yzerman is a promising player who could perform well beyond the slot he was selected for.
At least, that’s the hope.
“I felt like they really understood me as a player,” Yzerman said of the Islanders brass, “and I always look up to those guys because I think it takes a different mindset to understand how I think and how I play.”
So what exactly is different about him?
“I definitely look at the game differently than a lot of other people,” he said. “You guys might like it or not, but this is what I’m bringing to the table and you’re going to like it. That’s what I’m excited about.”
Lamoriello didn’t seem worried about that. He called Yzerman a “pure goal scorer” and said he’ll be playing for coach Jay Pandolfo, who played in New Jersey when Lamoriello was in charge of the team, in the fall. That’s a big reason the team has confidence in Yzerman’s development.
Yzerman, who turns 18 in August, will be a freshman at Boston University this fall and is hoping to join his best friend, Macklin Celebrini, as the top draft pick.
As for his long-term goals, he said Friday it was too early to declare when he would like to move to the NHL.
“Obviously it’s about being reliable defensively, being able to play 15+ minutes a game and being able to handle all situations,” Yzerman said when asked what he could improve on. “My year at BU is going to be a very important year for me.”
There is no secret about his strengths.
“I think [the Islanders] “They saw my goal and they saw how I took advantage of it and they’re happy about it,” Yzerman said.
Why wouldn’t they?
