The Islanders entered the NHL draft Friday night without a first-round pick, but they ended the night with two.
The Islanders made sure they didn’t miss out on any top talent, acquiring the 16th and 33rd overall picks from the Oilers in exchange for Griffin Reinhart.
General manager Garth Snow used the 16th pick on Mathew Barzal, a center who played for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League this past season. The 18-year-old set career highs in assists (45) and points (57) in his second season with the Thunderbirds while only playing 44 games.
Snow later grabbed Anthony Beauvillier of the QMJHL’s Shawingan Cataractes with the 28th overall pick after trading the 33rd and 72nd picks to the Lightning.