Draft: Islanders Select Ryan Strome With 5th Overall Pick

Tonight at the NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected Niagara IceDogs center Ryan Strome with the 5th overall pick. Strome is a 6'0" 175 pound center, who shoots right, and had 31 goals and 106 points for Niagara in the Ontario Hockey League last season. 

Strome joins Nino Niederreiter, Brock Nelson, John Tavares, Calvin de Haan, Josh Bailey, and Kyle Okposo as first round picks made by the Islanders since 2006.

New York Islanders

CH: I predicted this pick, and I absolutely love it. Strome is a very talented center who has outstanding skills, speed, and shot. He is more of a playmaker than center, and should slide in as the second line center for years to come unless the Islanders move him to right wing. If they move him to the wing, he will be a perfect complement to John Tavares, as not only to their styles complement each other well, but they shoot on opposite sides meaning set-ups will come fairly easy for these two.

Strome knows John Tavares and Matt Moulson from their training in the Mississauga/Oakdale area in Ontario. General Manager Garth Snow said that Tavares gave Strome a great scouting report, which helped his cause. Strome seemed genuinely excited to be picked by the Islanders in his interview with James Duthie, which leads me to believe that Tavares and Moulson told him great things about the organization.

As far as the future goes, Strome is not physically ready for the NHL. I believe the Islanders learned their lesson with Josh Bailey, so I would be absolutely shocked to see Strome in the NHL next season. It's possible that we may not even see him until 2013-14. That said, his potential is outstanding because of his skillset, so it will absolutely be worth the wait. The only downside on Strome is his physicality, but he will have time to grow into his body to make a seamless transition to the NHL.

Next year, Strome will be a leader on the IceDogs and should be an absolute lock for the Canadian World Junior Championship U-20 team. He does have things to work on, but given the amount of character this player has, I'm confident he will improve on the assets that he's lacking a little in.

The Islanders now have one of the top-5 prospect pools in the NHL, and that's not being a homer. Corey Pronman from Hockey Prospectus even suggested the Islanders may have the best prospect line in the NHL. This was an outstanding pick by the New York Islanders as the rebuild is finally ready to take the next step.

AT: I wanted one of Strome, Couturier or Hamilton. I got one. Extremely pleased with this pick. Strome will either be the 2nd line center (imagine the speed of him + Grabner) behind Tavares or will slot in on right wing to feed JT and Matt Moulson. He fits right into organizational need of a playmaker and a sniper and will definitely go back to an already stacked Niagara team. I see little reason that he could or should make the NHL next year. He needs to add some weight and refine his skills a bit and ensure us that this year was not a fluke. With everything we've seen, I can definitely say it was not.

Strome joins an abundance of centers in the Isles organization. Tavares, Bailey, Nielsen, Nelson, Cizikas, Lee, Ullstrom and Strome create a huge influx of organizational depth that should last for years. One of which (most likely Ullstrom or Nelson) can always be expendable as well.

The Islanders will have four more picks in the top 100 tomorrow, including two second round picks (34 and 50), one third round pick (63), and one fourth round pick (94).

Draft: Countdown #6 - Dougie Hamilton

6. Dougie Hamilton

Position: Defenceman
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 187
Shoots: R
DOB: June 17th, 1993
Nationality: Canadian
2010-2011 Team: Niagara IceDogs
League: OHL
Stats: 67 GP - 12 G - 46 A - 58 P - 77 PIM
Playoffs: 14 GP - 4 G - 12 A - 16 P - 16 PIM

AT: At this point, Hamilton is my number one choice for the Islanders. Coming from two athlete parents, Hamilton has the genes to make it work in the NHL. Originally known for shying away from the physical aspect of the game, the 6'4" (and still growing) Hamilton stepped up the usage of his body this year with Niagara. Has a huge offensive upside and could be a solid PP QB for whatever team decides to take him. Another thing I love about Hamilton is the fact that he was renowned for his intelligence - and it seemed to translate to his game. He makes smart decisions with the puck and relentlessly goes after loose pucks. He's not really known for delivering huge, open ice, bone crushing hits - certainly not yet - but he will work along the boards to pin a forward down.

Defense can be learned and improved upon. Hamilton has shown he has the desire to change the parts of his game that he lacks in. He would be a great addition to the Islanders blue line and I truly believe he is the perfect fit for the Islanders unless Larsson magically falls to them at 5. I'm really hoping the Isles take a chance on Hamilton - and more importantly, that if he's drafted, every time he scores the Coliseum will play "Teach Me How To Dougie".

CH: If the Islanders drafted Hamilton at #5 this Friday, I'd be absolutely thrilled. Not only may he be the BPA there, he also fills a huge organizational need. He'd instantly become the biggest defenseman in the organization under 25 years old. As Alex touched on, his overall game needs work but there's no reason why it shouldn't all come together for him.

As far as his NHL outlook goes, he'll probably need one more year in Niagara to refine his game, but that's okay. If he is the Isles choice, with guys like Eaton and Jurcina coming off the books, Hamilton should have no problem stepping into a great situation with the Islanders in 2012-13 with the team on the rise.

Most likely to be drafted: 3-8

Draft: Countdown #9 - Ryan Strome

9. Ryan Strome

Position: Center
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: R
DOB: July 11th, 1993
Nationality: Canadian
2010-2011 Team: Niagara IceDogs
League: Ontario Hockey League
Stats: 65 GP - 33 G - 73 A - 106 P - 82 PIM
Playoffs: 14 GP - 6 G - 6 A - 12 P - 19 PIM

CH: Strome is one of my favorite prospects in the top 10 of the draft this year. To start, he is a righty shot, which will complement Tavares well on the second line. It means there would be more flexibility to put other guys on the wings depending on their preference. It also would allow them to play the same PP line on opposite sides. Strome is a very creative player who has been on the rise for quite some time now. After 14 points and 27 points respectively in his first two years playing for Barrie and Niagara in the OHL, he burst on the scene with 106 points this year and just under a PPG in the playoffs.

Strome, who just turned 18, would absolutely need another year of seasoning in the OHL. Niagara was a good team this year and they should be again next year. This situation reminds me a bit of the Josh Bailey situation in 2008. Bailey was an up-and-coming riser for the Windsor Spitfires who was rushed into the NHL. Obviously, we all know he has struggled in the NHL since then. Strome, who is only 5'11" and 170 pounds has room and time to grow. He'll need to fill out more before he reaches the NHL level full time, but his skill and talent are undeniable. He should be a top 6 player for a very long time.

As far as the Islanders go, he is certainly on their radar. Strome was brought onto Long Island over the weekend for a visit with the team. He did an interview with Chris Botta where you can listen to here. He seems like a high character guy who would fit right into the current locker room, especially because he is friendly with John Tavares. If the Islanders decide they want to go with a center, he certainly is a viable option at 5. If they think he'll be around at 7-8, it's possible he'll be around there too, but not much after that. Still, if developed correctly (and he will be if the Isles take him after the Bailey fiasco), the Islanders will end up very happy with Ryan Strome in their organization.

AT: Strome is one who I would be completely happy with being taken at 5. A dynamic talent and very skilled playmaker, Strome would create a magnificent 1-2 punch down the center for the Isles. The wings can be filled out, but having Strome and JT down the center could and most likely would create a huge offensive outburst in a year's time after another year in juniors. As mentioned, putting him back in juniors is the wisest route after the Bailey experiment went so wrong. He had a huge jump in points (much like Huberdeau) and there's no harm for sending him back to the O for another year. One scout commented that Strome seemed tired out by the end of Niagara's run. That doesn't worry me too much. Stamina is something that gets better over time and can be increased. I would be ecstatic seeing a dynamic talent like Strome in our organization.

Most likely to be drafted: 4-9