With the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, the Islanders selected Erie Otters (OHL) defenseman Matthew Schaefer to help stabilize their back end for years to come. Schaefer registered seven goals and 15 assists to go along with a +21 rating in just 17 games this past season after dealing with a collarbone injury.

Lamoriello, who used four successive first-round picks to acquire Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Bo Horvat, made four first-round selections in his seven seasons with the Islanders. After one draft, Darche is only one shy of Lamoriello.

Acquired as part of the Noah Dobson deal with the Canadiens, the Islanders selected Eklund, the 18-year-old Swede, with the No. 16 overall pick. Eklund is ranked as the second-best international prospect by NHL.