The New York Islanders have stunned the hockey world by winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, securing the coveted first overall pick. With only a 3.5% chance, this unexpected victory could reshape the franchise’s future and attract top talent to the team.
Explore how this game-changing development impacts the Islanders’ search for a new general manager and the potential draft prospects, including defenseman Matthew Schaefer and centers Michael Misa and James Hagen. Discover the historical significance of the Islanders’ previous first overall picks and the potential ripple effects on the team’s strategy.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s letter to the NHL about the All-Star Game cancellation adds another layer of intrigue, with suggestions for alternative events.
Tune in to uncover how these developments could accelerate the Islanders’ path to success and what it means for the team’s future.
All this and more on today’s Locked On Islanders Podcast with Gil Martin.
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34 Comments
of course tavares will be a hall of famer 1100 plus points and sniffing 500 goals already……one of most productive players last decade in nhl…probably finish career with 600-650 goals and 13-1400 points….
Good 🌄, Gil. How are you? Congratulations, Isles. Now, LET'S HOPE THEY MAKE GOOD ON IT IN LA NEXT MONTH. The top 3 prospects are Matthew Schaffer, D. Michael Mesa, C, and James Hagens, C and LI native. The Islanders have only had the top picks 4 ⏲️ in 53 years. Taveras was a jerk, and DiPietro's career was derailed by injuries, Denis Potvin, went on to win 4 Stanley Cups, and and became one of the 100 🐐, and Billy Harris went Hollywood. They said the Islanders wouldn't make the playoffs in 1974-75, and LOOKED HOW THAT TURNED OUT. Even though Clark Gillies got drafted 4th in the 1st Round in 1974. They need to get a GM who's young and has a head for business, and will keep Patrick Roy The Islanders need a sniper. The Governor of NY State gave Gary Bettman a piece of her mind about canceling the ASG at UBS Arena next year. They won the draft lottery fair and square. Marc Gatcomb, 25 years old and has never been in the NHL. He was impressive, and he gave the Islanders 4th line some MOJO. HAPPY 🎂, BOB BASSEN. He scored his 1st NHL goal in a win 8-6 win over the Flyers. Hear from you later, Gil, Thanks again for clearing up that penalty. Now, ⏲️ to watch Game 5 of the 1981 Finals that's not called by 🏒🌙 in 🇨🇦, but by the 🇷🇺, too. Now. LET'S GO ISLANDERS.
Misa Misa Misa!!!!
Shaufer having broken collarbone scares me cause if break that once it’s very easy to break again and be reacurring.
i should call a doctor. ive had an erection for 12 hours
Michael Misa if Dobson stays. Schaefer if he goes
The Isles shouldn’t pick a defenseman unless he’s the second coming of Denis Potvin!
Yes Sir! Yes Sir! Very exciting, maybe a turning point to getting this franchise back to greatness. LGI
yes, the NHL made a move .. thank you first draft pick … LOL
If the Isles Draft Schaefer, and that is my initial direction, they should 1000% send him back to Juniors and let him further develop.
Biggest W of our season.
10:15 sorry Gill if a forward is 1st overall in the draft they should net 25-30 goals in their rookie season no question.
Shaefer is the only pick here. They say he is further along than Makar at this point. Watch some video on him. Ultra-Elite skater, great passer, puck transporter, have size, good hands and have great character by all accounts. I think our biggest liability has been our inability to get puck out of the zone efficiently, Shaefer GREATLY improves on that liability.
October Line one…F/A Ehlers, Bo, R/W Marner F/A….line 2- L/W Jefferies, Barzy and Holmstrom, Line 3 L/W Ritchie , Beekman and R/W Maggio and line 4 Q. Finley L/W at C-Misa and R/W Larson….playoff bound team…GM pay attention to this comment
I think the pick has to be either Hagens or Misa if we’re being honest. Every Islander fan knows we never have signed a big ticket free agent in our franchise’s history, and they are very rarely available for trades. Get someone to pair with Ritchie down the middle for the next 15+ years to anchor our team and our offense. If we took Schaefer I wouldn’t hate it, but it would be very nice for the next 15-20 years to not have the same discussion annually of:
“So who’s going to be scoring goals for this team this year?”
5 in 2025-2026 😊
Schafer would definitely help the PP gotta think about it
Riggged!!!!
The even bigger miracle is that Lou is not present to screw this up.
Think the isles should grab the long island kid James Hagens. Was projected 1st overall pick earlier in the year. Hagens has played with eiserman and Danny Nelson for team USA. Plays with eiserman in college. Kid grew up an isles fan. It’s a no brajner for me. If that’ means dropping down to 3 to grab him and add assets or simply just grab the kid at 1. Definitely not interested in a defenseman, but the kid has potential. Either way it has brought some excitement to a team who desperately needed it. Lgi
Unfortunately for NYI, there's no Ovechkin or Crosby in this draft.
Call me crazy, but what makes the most sense to me as someone who's not an Islander or Blackhawks fan is a NYI getting fair value to go from 1->3 and taking Hagens.
Collect assets the team needs, get a high-end center who will spend his career with the islanders and youre still getting a player WAY above pick 10's potential.
Yeah baby! Don’t eff it up!
Schaefer is my choice. Do we know he can run a power play? I know he broke his collar bone and that can be tricky, but he’s so young he should make a full recovery. He has to work on his slap shot. He really only shoots wristers but he can move his feet to create lanes. He is one of the youngest so he can get stronger and maybe taller and needs more physicality to his game. But man can he skate. They need to know he wants to play there. I’m tired of the NHL fans making fun of this team. Now that LA is out of the playoffs, I would go after their staff. They only lost to the Oilers because they laid back after they took the lead. They had them beat and anyone that can build a team like that…i want that staff.
Hehe. I am a Ranger fan. A few years ago I felt just as you did, Gil! We got the first pick. I was so excited… so we picked Alex Lafrienne. He never developed into a great player– only a third line , mediocre player– Good luck with finding the next Potvin or Taveras!
Canucks trade Peterson to Isles for pick #1. Canucks trade Hughes to SJ for pick #2.
My father wrote “That Fantastic Season”
Good afternoon team! OH MY GOODNESS, Gil. I am so excited for this draft. FINALLY, the universe is leaning toward our direction. IF, we use the first pick effectively. Please, please, please DO NOT use it on a defensemen, unless it's Denis Potvin. One thing is for sure.. our pick has to be on the ice, day one! So excited! Everyone, have a great day! See everyone again tomorrow. Until then.. Let's Go Islanders!!
Schaefer seems to be the best choice for #1. He fills a need as a #1 dman. Hagens is a great story, but does not seem like a true #1 overall pick.
Procuring the number one pick when the odds were unfavorable does help ease the disappointment of having the 2025 All Star game cancelled or at least postponed.
am i missing some thing, why would we draft a player who played only 17 games this season? Misa was the number one pick up until a few weeks ago. How is Matthew rated above a guy who scores more than 60 goals in 134 games, you got to be kidding me. This is a NO BRAINER.. Misa is the guy,, case closed
WINNING!!! YES YES YES!!! This is probably a dumb question, I don’t even know why I thought of it, but here goes. Gil, with this first pick, do the Islanders have the first pick in each subsequent round as well? For some reason I thought maybe the subsequent rounds would be based on the actual place they finished in the final standings. Of course, I hope that isn’t the case. Thanks Gil, LGI!!!!
Hi Gil!! I am beyond euphoric—The Louless curse has been lifted!! Rigged or not—-I could care less. That lucky 13 shot up and I was in 7th heaven!! I thought of Billy Harris, our great Potvin, Dp, and I tried not to think about you know who!! I thought of Barzie and wondered if he will be part of a block buster or do we move forward with the young man. Gil, the worm has finally turned! This Gm gig has become a very lucrative position! Eiserman, young Nelson, Ritchie, Hagens/Missa (I’m torn) on the way. Reminds me of the young talented team we had way back when—-Charra, Bernard, luongo, Mcabe and Ziggy—- and that was blown up!! Trade the pick? Only with an agreement if we want one or the other guy—a GM agreement and we get more assets. Gil, I think we can say Never Say Die again!! Celebrating again tonight! Take care my Islander friend! There is reason to celebrate 🎊 🍕🍕🍻🍻
This should help with the new GM search !!