Islanders 2026 NHL Draft: Malte Gustafsson selected 13th overall

You best make us proud, HV71 ginger! | Getty Images The Islanders made their lone pick with little fanfare on what was a never-ending first day of the draft: Malte Gustafsson, a tall, swift-skating, left-side defenseman who’s already had pro-league experience at age 17 with HV71 in Sweden, was their pick at 13th overall.The Isles went into the draft with four picks on the second day, one each in rounds 4, 5, 6 and 7.

As for Gustafsson, the Isles had Matthew Schaefer announce the pick — a helluva lot better than having that twert Bieber do it — and though both are lefties, you could see him fitting well next to Schaefer in select situations one day:A one-man play killer, Gustafsson cemented his status as a high-end defensive prospect by becoming a regular on HV71’s SHL team, a rare feat for a draft-eligible defender. Against his peers, he played nearly half of every game for Sweden at the under-18 championships.His defensive game is the most translatable part of his NHL game and will allow him to be a trusted defender early in his career.

He’s the ideal partner for an elite offensive defenseman because of his ability to insulate and shut down offense, be it in transition or in the defensive zone. >>Rachel Kryshak, ESPNGustafsson is an outstanding skater and another prospect from Sweden who played most of his season at the pro level. He’s competitive and smart.

Gustafsson can be deployed in a variety of roles and trusted in all situations, but will likely only produce secondary offence at most.>>Jason Bukala, ranking him 19th at SportsnetSam Cosentino, also at Sportsnet:A late riser with his play at the U18 worlds, Gustafsson has size, can skate, defend well and help move pucks quickly and efficiently.Gustafsson was seen as just outside the top tier of five defensemen in this draft, though some entertained the possibility that he should be in there.

The Athletic addressed that question before the draft:There has been a lot of talk about Malte Gustafsson now entering th