The New York Islanders select Griffin Reinhart with the 4th overall selection.

Here’s the skinny:

With pro-ready size, Reinhart is a true man child.  At the beginning of the season he looked pretty clumsy on his skates but has since improved his mobility considerably.  He is able to maneuver his own zone but can get beat wide by speedy forwards. His foot speed is good, but nothing special. He will need to make some improvements to that aspect of his game if he is going to be successful at the NHL level. He displays his uncanny ability to find open forwards on the breakout consistently. He is very strong on his stick while carrying the puck up ice. He has a very good shot, although he doesn’t use it enough. In the defensive zone, Reinhart is a puzzle that few forwards have been able to solve—he uses his lengthy reach to swat pucks out of harm’s way and his big body to outmuscle forwards down low, in scrums and in front of the net. He is very strong and likes to finish his checks hard. He is very rangy and mobile in his own zone and that alone makes him a very good defender, but mixed with his size and tenacity, he is a premier defenseman. Reinhart’s decision-making is pretty good and he reads plays well, dissecting the opposing team’s forecheck with his vision and smarts.

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Here’s what one of our scouts said about Reinhart:

“Reinhart is a big, two-way defender.  He has the ability to defend with size and reach. His physicality continues to be an area to work on. Strong offensive skills and skating has improved all season. Expect him to be a top 10 selection, but I would take him top five.”