Lincoln Kuehne

September 2026 – Lincoln Kuehne is a smooth-skating, right-shot shutdown defenseman the New York Islanders selected 109th overall, filling the thinnest area of their prospect pool.

A Fargo, North Dakota native and U.S. National Team Development Program alumnus, he was the second-youngest defenseman in the NCAA as a freshman at Arizona State, managing just two points in 30 games in a sheltered bottom-pair role behind a veteran blue line. The projection is defensive. His skating is his calling card, smooth and functional in every direction, and he pairs it with pro size at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, physical habits in board battles and at the net front, and a smart defensive stick. He models his game after Moritz Seider.

The offense is the clear limitation: he has never produced at any level, his point vision is limited, and his breakouts slow under pressure. With most of Arizona State’s defense corps departed, he should see far bigger minutes in 2026-27.

or fantasy he is a deep-league monitor with little standalone appeal given the low point ceiling, so track whether expanded college minutes add any offense to a defense-first game before any add. Andrew Epps