2011 NHL Draft: New York Islanders Select 8 Players on Day 2

After drafting top prospect Ryan Strome yesterday, the New York Islanders finished up the draft on Saturday morning by drafting eight more players in Rounds 2 through 7.

With the 34th overall pick the Islanders selected defenseman Scott Mayfield from the USHL. Mayfield is a physical defenseman that has good vision and makes good plays. It will take him a few years to be NHL ready but the Isles are in no rush.

Going at No. 50 to the Isles is Swedish center Johan Sundstrom. The 6'2" center played in 41 games in the Swedish Elite League and scoring only one goal. He has good size but his talent needs to catch up. We'll see if he can improve as his offensive responsibilities will rise this year in Sweden.

At No. 63 the Isles took defenseman Andrei Pedan. In 51 games in the OHL last year, Pedan scored two goals and finished with 12 points. Pedan has an offensive upside but hasn't shown much of it yet. He has good size (6'4", 201 pounds) and he throws his body around well. He plays a pretty solid defensive game but still needs to improve other parts.

At No. 95 the Islanders took 6'0" defenseman Robbie Russo from the USHL. In 54 games, Russo scored three goals and finished with 19 points. He plays a solid defense and doesn't show many weaknesses in that part of his game. He isn't a great skater so he needs to improve. He has good vision and can handle the puck well.

The islanders selected John Persson at No. 125 in the draft. Persson had a great year last year for the Red Deer Rebels. In 68 games, Persson scored 33 goals and had 28 assists for a total of 61 points. It seems like a steal. He has good size (6'2", 192 pounds). He also played pretty well in the playoffs scoring two goals and finishing with nine points.

The Islanders selected defenseman Brenden Kichton at No. 127. Kichton plays a great defensive game. He has great vision and will join the rush if he can. He is a great skater and great playmaker. He is a great power play quarterback and can not only score with a good, accurate shot, but can also set up teammates with perfect passes down low.

The only thing he lacks is size. Kichton could become a great offensive-defenseman. Kichton had an excellent year for the Spokane Chiefs. In 64 games, Kichton scored 23 goals and 58 assists for 81 points.

The final pick for the Islanders was at No. 185. The Islanders selected Mitchell Theoret from the Niagara IceDogs in the OHL. Theoret was a teammate of the Islanders first pick Ryan Strome. Theoret has good size (6'1", 210 pounds).

He is a great two-way player with good vision. He gets into good scoring positions and also has the ability to set up teammates. He is a good skater also. In 66 games with the IceDogs, Theoret scored nine goals and finished with 20 points playing mostly on the fourth line.

This years draft is officially over. Overall, I'm happy with the Islanders picks. They got a good mix of offensive and defensive talent and some guys with upside. Should be fun to see these guys develop and see how they do in the future.