New York took advantage of the Edmonton Oilers' need for defensemen, dealing former first-round selection Griffin Reinhart to the Oilers in exchange for the No. 16 and No. 33 overall selections in the 2015 draft.
Reinhart has a great deal of potential as the No. 4 overall pick from just three years ago, but he hasn't progressed as quickly as hoped, and the Isles dealt from a position of strength. With the 16th pick, New York nabbed a highly skilled forward prospect in Mathew Barzal from Seattle of the WHL.
EJ Hradek of NHL.com praised the Islanders' aggressiveness in swinging a trade to secure a prospect of Barzal's caliber:
If Matt Barzal is a player & I think he is, NYI might've made a hell of a deal.