Aleksi Malinen

June 2022 – The Islanders have made only five draft picks in the first three rounds during the past three years. Malinen exemplifies the kind of late-round acquisition the Isles need to graduate to the NHL to help keep them competitive. Picked in the sixth round (189th overall) of the 2021 draft, the 19-year-old has a skill set that allowed him to play 30 games in Finland’s top men’s league as a 17-year-old. He’s doesn’t avoid physical play and he’s an effortless, mobile skater capable of beating forecheckers and bringing the puck out of his zone. That said, it’s hard to get a read on him because a lack of offensive production is surely why he was available so late in the draft, although it’s unfair to criticize him for getting just three points as a teen facing the hardened men of the Liiga. Still, Malinen totaled a mere four goals and three assists in five international tournaments in the past four years against fellow junior players. His offensive apex came during the 2021-22 campaign when he compiled three goals and 14 assists for JYP’s U-20 squad. He’s expected to stick with JYP of the Liiga in the coming season, when scouts should get a more accurate read on his potential. He’ll need to get stronger to have any chance of succeeding in North America. At this point, he looks like a long-term project. Mark Allan