Meet the Islanders' 2021 draft picks
The stage is set for the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft at the NHL Network studios on Friday in Secaucus, N.J. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
No. 52 Aatu Raty, C, Karpat (Finland). 6-2, 175. Raty, ranked third among European skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau, was once considered a potential top-10 pick but his stock dropped considerably after compiling just three goals and three assists in 35 games last season. He has strong playmaking skills but needs to mature.
No. 93 Tristan Lennox, G, Saginaw (OHL). 6-4, 190. Lennox did not play last season as the OHL was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But CSB ranked Lennox, a strong puck-handler, third among North American goalies after he went 20-8-3 with a 3.63 goals-against average and an .876 save percentage in 2019-20 for Saginaw.
No. 125 Cameron Berg, C, Muskegon (USHL), 6-0, 192. Berg, who will play college hockey for Nebraska-Omaha, is a solid, two-way center with good passing skills and an ability to rush the puck up ice. His 27 goals and 31 assists last season was good for seventh in the USHL in scoring.
No. 157 Eetu Liukas, LW, TPS (Finland), 6-2, 205. A physical player who had a goal, two assists and 20 penalty minutes in 19 SM-liiga games last season. Scouting reports note his excellent one-timer.
No. 189 Aleksei Malinen, D, JYP HT Jyvaskyla (Finland), 6-0, 185. A strong skater who played mainly in a defensive role in SM-liiga. He had two goals and one assist in 30 games last season.
No. 221 Tomas Machu, D, HC Vitkovice (Czech Republic). 6-4, 190. The right-shooting defenseman had two goals in 13 games on loan to Draci Sumperk in the Czech2 league last season.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
