In possession of the 13th pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, the New York Islanders will have an opportunity to bolster their already strong prospect pool.
General manager Mathieu Darche made three first-round selections in his first draft with the team in 2025, selecting Matthew Schaefer (No. 1), Victor Eklund (No. 16), and Kashawn Aitcheson (No. 17).
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With draft season here, one name that has been linked to the Islanders is Ryan Lin, a 5-foot-11, right-shot defenseman from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Lin is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman known for his hockey IQ.
While his ability to frequently join teammates on the rush has given fans the impression he is an offensive defenseman, he also knows when to prioritize his defensive responsibilities, truly lacking any glaring weaknesses, including in his own zone.
As an alternate captain for the Giants, he recorded 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in 53 games this season, the second-highest point total on the team and the highest among defensemen, as well as six points (one goal, five assists) in five games for Canada at the U18s.
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Lin’s 57 points ranked third among draft-eligible WHL defensemen, trailing only Daxon Rudolph (78 points) and Carson Carels (73 points), who are each projected top-10 picks.
Islanders scouts are likely already familiar with Lin’s game, as he has spent the past two seasons in Vancouver alongside goaltender Burke Hood, the New York’s 170th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Looking ahead, Lin is committed to the University of Denver for 2026-27, one of the most esteemed NCAA programs in recent seasons.
Under head coach David Carle, Denver has won three of the past five national championships while developing some of the top defense prospects to come out of the NCAA in Zeev Buium and Eric Pohlkamp, the 2025 and 2026 Hobey Baker Award finalists, respectively.
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It is also worth noting that, like Lin, Buium and Pohlkamp are undersized, standing 6-foot and 5-foot-11, and they each spent two seasons with Denver.
Pohlkamp played his freshman season at Bemidji State University before transferring to Denver. During that season, he won gold at the World Junior Championship while playing for Carle.
With both Buium and Pohlkamp playing professionally, Lin will have some big shoes to fill, but there is no better place than Denver for a defenseman to develop.
Projected to play alongside at least three other drafted defensemen, Lin is projected to develop his game as a top-pairing option for Carle while competing for a national championship.
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In the long-term, Lin projects as an NHL top-four defenseman, capable of leading a power-play unit.
The Islanders organization is weak on the right side of the defense, so Lin would provide an immediate boost to the team’s long-term outlook.
Notably, the Islanders have not selected a right-shot defenseman in the draft since Tomas Machu (No. 221) in 2021, and the only right-shot defensemen under contract for the 2026-27 season are Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield, who are 31 and 33 years old, respectively.
With Lin’s NHL ETA projected closer to Spring 2028 or the 2028-29 season, the Islanders would need to be patient, but if all goes according to plan, they could add another young defensive piece to an already exciting group led by Schaefer and Aitcheson.
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Rankings have Lin projected to go in the 8-18 range, so he may not be available for the Islanders at 13.
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