The New York Islanders on Friday night selected defenseman Griffin Reinhart with the fourth pick of the 2012 NHL Draft at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
Reinhart (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League. He's the son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, a defenseman for the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. Just before the Islanders drafted Reinhart, they made a trade with the Anaheim Ducks to land veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky for a second-round pick in the 2013 Draft.
NHL Central Scouting ranked Reinhart No. 10 among North American central skaters. In three seasons with the Oil Kings, Reinhart has 18 goals, 43 assists and 74 penalty minutes in 105 games. During the Oil Kings' run to the 2011-2012 WHL Championship, Reinhart had two goals, six assists and 20 penalty minutes in 20 games. A physical specimen, Reinhart doesn't have the most upside of other defensemen in the draft, but he is expected to develop into a steady two-way blueliner.
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