Islanders select Luca Romano No. 74 overall in 2025 NHL Draft

The New York Islanders rolled the dice on a talented pivot by selecting Luca Romano with the 74th pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Romano, who didn’t turn 18 until Wednesday, is a good skater with a heavy wrist shot whose 5’11, 177-lb frame should fill out enough to keep him at center by the time he turns pro.

For as much as there is to like about Romano’s game (he earned a second-round grade from Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis), his production has often struggled to live up to his tools. The righty finished well below a point a game (51 P in 67 GP) in his draft-eligible season, so it takes squinting to envision him as a legit pro scorer.

He did show some nice finish to go along with his footspeed and workrate last season, though, potting 25 goals in 67 OHL games for the Kitchener Rangers and another six during a deep playoff run. 

If Kitchener’s staunch defensive identity was partly to blame for Romano’s paltry points total, it also helped him show off some two-way potential. Though he’s not projected as a true shutdown centerman, it’s increasingly common for players with Romano’s level of quickness and competitiveness to find work on an NHL penalty kill.

If Romano continues to pour in the goals in his D+1 season while fleshing out the rest of his offensive game in an increased role for a strong Kitchener team, his continued physical maturation should give him a path to the show.

Romano has plenty of time left to get his feet wet in the ‘O’ before he’s tasked with justifying his draft position in the Islanders’ pro system. He might not be a flashy selection, but his youth, speed, and relatively complete player profile make him a safe bet by Day 2 standards.

SPONSORED BY bet365