Though most NHL general managers primarily spoke of the newest addition to their teams following rounds two through seven of the 2021 draft on Saturday, Lou Lamoriello spent a majority of his time commemorating the Islanders players he had lost in recent days as the offseason entered overdrive.
But Lamoriello stressed how important it was for the organization to create space, citing the departure of defenseman Nick Leddy in a trade with the Red Wings and Jordan Eberle’s selection in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft. In addition to shipping Andrew Ladd and his $5.5 million cap hit along with several draft picks to Arizona, Lamoriello’s focus has shifted to the Islanders’ free agents.
“I’m always fairly consistent, until something is complete, it’s not complete,” the reigning two-time GM of the Year said. “We have not changed our thoughts and our opinion and our approach that we’d like to bring all our players back that we had at the end of the year.”
Lamoriello noted that he doesn’t have to make any final decisions regarding qualifying offers for the Islanders’ restricted free agents — which includes key players like top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech, goalie Ilya Sorokin and 24-year-old winger Anthony Beauvillier, until Monday morning.
Despite not having a first-round pick in the draft, the Islanders were able to snag a player who was once projected to be a top selection but ultimately slid down the board.
Lamoriello selected Finnish center Aatu Raty at No. 52 on Saturday, which counted as the organization’s first pick of the 2021 draft after sending their top selection (No. 29) to the Devils in exchange for Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac at last season’s trade deadline.
Raty, who scored two goals for Finland at the World Junior Summer Showcase on Saturday after getting drafted, is under contract with the Finnish Liiga’s Karpat for another season and is expected to remain in his home country.
“I’m pretty big, I’m 6-foot-2, 185 [pounds],” the 18-year-old said of how he would describe himself as a player. “I think my strengths are my hockey sense and playmaking and stickhandling.”
Not too long ago, Raty was considered a first-round pick. He fell short of high expectations while competing for Finland as a 17-year-old at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. And after having a mediocre draft year, in which he recorded six points in 35 games with Karpat, Raty saw his trade stock drop. Despite his struggles in the Finnish Liiga, Raty appears to have an upside.
The Islanders also selected goalie Tristan Lennox out of the Ontario Hockey League. In 33 games with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit last season, Lennox posted a 20-8-3 record with a 3.63 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage.
For their third pick of the draft, the Isles took center Cameron Berg at No. 125. Berg, who is committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha next season, is coming off a career year in the USHL. After scoring 27 goals and dishing 31 assists in 51 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks last season, Berg chipped in four goals in four playoff games as well.
In the fifth round, the Isles drafted Eetu Liukas 157th overall out of the Finnish Liiga. Liukas, a big-bodied physical winger, scored a goal and two assists with 20 penalty minutes in 19 games with TPS last season. To wrap things up, Lamoriello took defensemen Aleksi Malinen at No. 189 and Tomas Machu at 221.