You would totally be forgiven for skipping most or all of Friday’s first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The Islanders didn’t have a pick (courtesy of the Kyle Palmieri trade) and didn’t participate in any trades while seemingly half the league was moving bodies and picks all over the place.
But just before 1 pm on Saturday, halfway through a timeout-slowed second round, the Islanders were finally on the clock. And they, perhaps surprisingly, came away with a prospect that was, at one time, considered a first round talent if not a possibility for a first overall selection.