"This is not a mid-first-round pick we're talking about. This is the first-round pick of a team that will likely win the President's Trophy, making it at best the 28th overall pick. On average, approximately 42% of players selected between picks 28-32 play in 100 NHL games. Only 15-20% play in 500+ games."
"Taken in the fifth-round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Gidlof is a massive goalie who is still extremely raw between the pipes. He has the physical attributes to become an NHL goalie, but is on the slower end within the crease, struggling with lateral movement and coming in and out of the butterfly."
"What made him expendable is the Islanders still having Dmitri Gamzin in their system. The Russian netminder has a 1.54 GAA and .937 SV% in the KHL, recording his seventh shutout of the season yesterday. Gamzin has two-years remaining on his contract with CSKA Moscow, and could very well be the heir apparent to Ilya Sorkin."
The New York Islanders acquired Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues, sending Jonathan Drouin, Colorado's 2026 first-round pick, New Jersey's 2026 third-round pick, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof. While appearing costly for a 34-year-old third-line center, the first-round pick is likely 28th overall from a President's Trophy contender, with only 42% of picks in that range playing 100+ NHL games. Marcus Gidlof, a raw fifth-round 2024 prospect, became expendable with Dmitri Gamzin available as a goalie prospect. The third-round pick compensates St. Louis for absorbing Drouin's contract through next season, a deal Islanders management created themselves.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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