After a victorious first round at the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders had six picks on Day 2.
It started off with a bang -- figuratively and literally -- with the Islanders selecting punishing forward Daniil Prokhorov with the 42nd overall pick.
Islanders Select Hard-Hitting Forward Daniil Prokhorov With Their Second-Round SelectionAfter a successful first day at the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders used the 42nd overall pick to select forward Daniil Prokhorov of the MHL.
Here are the rest of the picks:
Luca Romano, C
With the 74th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Islanders selected center Luca Romano out of the OHL.
With the Kitchener Rangers, Romano tallied 25 goals with 26 assists for 51 points in 67 games.
Romano excels in transition and creates pace for his line. The center is on the smaller end at 5’11” and 176 pounds, but he makes up for his stature with a high compete level and strong skating.
As the engine of Kitchener’s offense, Romano is a workhorse who eats minutes and produces at a decent clip. The Toronto native still needs to develop his faceoff ability to stick as a center in the NHL, but his game is relatively well-rounded.
Tomas Poletin, LW
The Islanders followed their Romano pick by selecting Czech winger Tomas Poletin 106th overall out of the Finnish Liiga.
Poletin scored a combined 13 goals with 10 assists for 23 points in 26 games with the Pelicans U18 and U20 teams. The left winger also appeared in 15 games with the Pelicans’ Liiga team, but he received limited ice time and didn’t appear on the scoresheet.
Poletin is a rugged power forward who puts in “extreme effort” for every shift, according to EliteProspects. Making his living off puck battles and the forecheck, Poletin utilizes his heavy 6’1” and 205-pound frame to dominate defenders.
Poletin was also Czechia’s captain at the U18 World Championships, chipping in 15 goals in 29 games across two tournaments.
Sam Laurilia, LHD
With their 5th round pick at 138th overall, the Islanders then selected defenseman Sam Laurila out of the USHL.
Laurila tallied 8 goals with 33 assists for 41 points in 57 games with the Fargo Force. The Minnesota native’s point total was tied for 4th in the USHL among defensemen.
Laurila is an opportunistic two-way player whose offense took a big step once leaving the U.S. NTDP. The left-shot defenseman shines in transition, creates dangerous give-and-gos, and doesn’t shy away from contact.
As a slight overager, Laurila was passed on at last year’s draft.
Burke Hood, G
At 170th overall, the Islanders added goaltender Burke Hood of the WHL.
Hood posted a 3.13 GAA and a .910 SV% in 42 games with the Vancouver Giants. In his first WHL season, the goalie earned a respectable 19-13-6 record.
Standing at 6’3” and 192 pounds, Hood controls the crease with his size and athleticism. Hood tracks the puck well through traffic and isn’t afraid of contact with opposing forwards.
Hood also has above-average lateral agility, positioning, and composure—his game contains few holes.
Jacob Kvasnicka, RW
To finalize their 2025 NHL Draft, New York selected winger Jacob Kvasnicka from the U.S. NTDP with the 202nd overall pick.
Kvasnicka scored 18 goals with 21 assists for 39 points in 66 games with the NTDP, as well as 5 goals with 9 assists for 14 points in 27 games within the USHL.
Kvasnicka’s greatest strength is arguably his speed, which he utilizes to make zone entries and provide offense. The right-shot forward isn’t an elite creator, but he also kills penalties and forechecks well.
Kai Russell wrote this story.
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