The Islanders dealt their first-round pick Thursday night in a bid to upgrade their blueline.
The Isles sent the No. 13 overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens for left-handed defenseman Alexander Romanov. The Habs also included a fourth-round pick (No. 98 overall) in the trade.
“We had an opportunity to get a 22 year old, top-four defenseman," said Islanders president of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello. "Tremendous character, tremendous competitiveness. We felt it was the right thing. We were looking for a defenseman and felt that the ones we were looking at would be gone.”
The Islanders are looking to solidify their defense following a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Veterans Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene are not expected to be on the team.