The New York Islanders sent a 2017 fourth round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 120th overall pick. With that pick, they took Finnish left wing Otto Koivula from Ilves U20. I had predicted Koivula to be drafted in the fourth or fifth round in my draft preview.
Pros: I think this is a really smart pick by the Islanders. Koivula has the offensive skills that not too many big players possess. His vision and good puck skills allow to make some deft passes and his shot is really quick. He can also make some effective power moves while driving to the net. He makes good decisions between passing and shooting.
Cons: Koivula’s skating will need to improve, including his speed, power and acceleration, but he was still able to put up excellent numbers in the Finnish U20 league. He finished second in scoring in playoffs with 12 points en route to win the league. However, he can be somewhat inconsistent even within games and late in situations due to his lack of speed.
All things considered, he’s a skilled player and if he can improve his skating in the next seasons, he will be even more efficient in all three zones.
A couple of goals by the forward: