Plans Haven’t Changed For Islanders First-Round Pick Malte Gustafsson

On Tuesday morning, the New York Islanders announced they had signed No. 13 pick Malte Gustafsson to a three-year entry-level deal.

Islanders Sign 2026 First-Round Pick Malte Gustafsson To Entry-Level Contract Towering Swedish defenseman Malte Gustafsson brings elite mobility and a physical edge to New York. The 13th overall pick aims to refine his shutdown game before joining the pros.

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As mentioned in the story above, the plan, since we spoke with Gustafsson at the podium on night one of the NHL Draft, was for him to return to the SHL for a second season with SV71 before coming over to join the organization.

The Hockey News has been told, despite signing his ELC, that plan has not changed.

Gustafsson is eligible to come over and join the Islanders organization, whether that’s at the AHL or the NHL level, when his season comes to an end, like we saw with Victor Eklund this past season.

Like with Eklund, though, don’t expect Gustafsson to take part in Islanders training camp this fall.

SV71’s first game is on Sept. 19.