In a significant move for the franchise, Malte Gustafsson, the No. 13 overall pick in last month’s NHL Draft, has officially joined the New York Islanders by signing a three-year entry-level contract. The deal, which carries an average annual value of $1.575 million, was finalized less than three weeks after the draft, marking a swift transition for the young defenseman.
Gustafsson has expressed his intention to return to HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League for the upcoming season. This decision mirrors the path taken by Victor Eklund, the Islanders’ 2025 first-round pick, who signed his entry-level deal on July 14, played for Djurgårdens IF in the SHL, and made his NHL debut in Game 82 after a stint with AHL Bridgeport. Should Gustafsson play fewer than 10 games in the NHL next season, the first year of his contract will slide, preserving his entry-level status.
While there is still much to unfold for Gustafsson as he aims to make an impact with the Islanders or AHL Hamilton, he arrived at development camp impressively, according to head coach Peter DeBoer. “He arrived as advertised,” DeBoer remarked, highlighting Gustafsson’s blend of size, physicality, and two-way skills that could make him a vital asset on the Islanders’ blue line in the future.
DeBoer noted Gustafsson’s maturity and growth throughout the development camp, stating, “I thought in the game yesterday, he got better as it went on. I thought the second period of that game, you started to see him get more confident. These rookie camps are tough; some of the best players I had didn’t look great at rookie camp. So you’ve got to take them with a grain of salt, but Malte came as advertised. He did a great job.”
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
