Islanders best player acquired by trade from every NHL team

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SUNRISE, FL – JUNE 26: Mathew Barzal poses after being selected 16th overall by the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Since joining the league in 1972, the New York Islanders have made a ton of trades. Here’s the best player they acquired by trade from every current NHL team.

Since joining the league in 1972, the New York Islanders have had a number of deals with just about every team in the NHL. Over the Isles 48 year history, they’ve made 240 trades with the other 30 teams currently in the league.

Their most common trade partner? The Montreal Canadiens with 20 trades. That number is boosted thanks to a significant number of cash trades back in the 70s.

Between the 1972 and 1977 drafts, there are 12 trades where players are swapped for cash. Two players, Tony Featherstone and Murray Anderson were traded to the Isles from the Canadiens on June 26, 1972, for cash and then traded back to the Habs less than six months later, again for cash.

And while we know the Islanders and Rangers rarely trade (they’ve done so three times since 1972) the Isles have also rarely traded with the Detroit Red Wings and the St Louis Blues with four trades between each team.

The last time the Islanders and Red Wings made a deal was on May 26, 1991, when Alan Kerr and future considerations were sent to the motor city for Rick Green. That was almost 29 years ago!

Looking through the Isles trade history, I wanted to know what was the best player acquired in a trade by the Isles from every current NHL team.

I’m not looking at the best value received in a trade. I don’t really care want went the other way for this post. I just looked at who was the best player the Isles got from each team.

For this, I only considered trades that were made with current NHL teams. So that means the Ray Ferraro trade with the Hartford Whalers won’t be on this list. The deal that sent Dave Cameron and Bob Lorimer to the Colorado Rockies for the third overall pick in 1983 (Pat LaFontaine) also won’t be on this list

Sometimes I found it hard to settle on a specific player so I added an honorable mention for the player that could have easily slotted in instead.

I broke it down by division from East to West. First up, the Atlantic Division.

UNIONDALE, NY – OCTOBER 29: Pierre Turgeon returns to the ice as the New York Islanders celebrate their 1992-1993 team prior to the game against the San Jose Sharks Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on October 29, 2011 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins | Johnny Boychuk

The New York Islanders were able to get a top-pair defenseman with a cannon of a shot and with a recent Stanley Cup ring in Johnny Boychuk from the cap-strapped Bruins for a pretty low price of two second-round picks and a conditional third-round pick.

Picked up just an hour after Garth Snow traded for Nick Leddy, the Islanders had completely redeveloped their blueline within an hour days before the start of the 2014-15 season.

Buffalo Sabres | Pierre Turgeon

There was never any doubt that Pierre Turgeon would get the nod here. Thomas Vanek was a good player but he was a flash in the pan and didn’t stay around long (47 games).

With Pat LaFontaine unhappy with his situation on the Island, the Isles were able to swap superstar players and get Pierre Turgeon who help the Blue and Orange get to the 1993 Conference Finals. He also had 340 points in 255 games over four years for the Isles. Legend.

Detroit Red Wings | Ralph Stewart

One of just a handful of trades between the Isles and Red Wings. Ralph Stewart was with the Isles between the 72-73 and 75-76 season and recorded 110 points in 199 games.

Florida Panthers | Mark Parrish

On June 24, 2000, Mike Milbury sent Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen to Florida for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. Parrish would be a gem for the Isles playing 345 games and scoring 214 points in blue and orange.

Montreal Canadiens | Glenn “Chico” Resch

On June 6, 1972, the Islanders acquired Alex Campbell, Denis DeJordy, Glenn Resch, and future considerations for a second-round pick in 1973 (Glenn Goldup) and cash from the Habs.

Resch would play 282 games for the Isles with a 0.911SV% and 2.56 GAA, finish second in Calder Trophy voting in 1976 (he lost out to Bryan Trottier), and won a Stanley Cup with the Isles in 1980. I’d say that’s a pretty darn good trade from The Architect.

Ottawa Senators | Alexei Yashin

It sucks that the Islanders had to give up Zdeno Chara and what would become Jason Spezza to get Alexei Yashin, and the way it ended wasn’t great. But there’s no question he was a good player and the best player the Isles picked up from the Sens.

Tampa Bay Lightning | Adrian Aucoin

Aucoin had his best years of an 18 year NHL career with the Islanders. In two of the three years with the Isles, Aucoin finished in the top ten in Norris voting with a 34 point and 44 point year. The latter was a career-high.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Kenny Jonsson

In a six-player deal back in 1996, the Islanders acquired Sean Haggerty, Darby Hendrickson, and Kenny Jonsson from the Toronto Maple Leafs (as well as the fourth overall pick in 1997).

Jonsson would play all but 89 games of his 686 game NHL career with the Islanders. He played big minutes during some of the Islanders darker times.

Honorable mention: Darius Kasparaitis

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 17: Casey Cizikas #53 of the New York Islanders celebrates his short-handed goal at 8:11 of the second period against the Nashville Predators at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on December 17, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes | Bobby Hughes

Who? It was hard to find a good trade between the Isles and the Hurricanes because they’ve only ever made a deal once in their 23-year shared history. That lone deal was back on August 31, 2009, when the Isles send Rob Hennigar to Carolina for Bobby Hughes.

Hughes played five games for Bridgeport and never played for the Isles.

Columbus Blue Jackets | 2009 4th (Casey Cizikas)

At the 2009 draft, Garth Snow traded a second-round pick (56th OVR) to Columbus for a third and fourth-round pick (62nd OVR and 92nd OVR). That fourth-round pick was used to select Casey Cizikas.

Cizikas is the heart of the Islanders current team and sets tone and identity for the team. I don’t think there’s a more important fourth-line center in the league.

New Jersey Devils | 1983 4th (Mikko Makela)

The Isles sent Hector Marini and fourth-round pick at the 1983 draft for the Devils fourth-round pick at the same draft. The Isles would use that pick to take Mikko Makela with the 65th overall pick.

Makela would play 307 games for the Islanders and score 219 points, including a 76 point season in 1988-89.

New York Rangers | Ron Stewart

Three trades in 48 years. Just three, that’s how badly these two teams hate each other. Ron Stewart would play 22 games at age 40 in the 1972-73 season for the Isles. That’s it.

Philadelphia Flyers | Jean Potvin

His younger brother gets most of the headlines for being a Hall of Fame defenseman and winning four Cups with the Islanders, but older brother Jean Potvin was a pretty good player. Jean would score 213 points in 402 games for the Isles.

More importantly, he’d be there to help his younger brother develop into that dominant player we know today. And all they had to give up was Terry Crisp.

Pittsburgh Penguins | Bryan Smolinski

Giving up Darius Kasparaitis in this trade was tough. He didn’t put up many points but a hip-check at the blue line from the D-man was just as good. In return for Kasparaitis and Andreas Johansson, the Islanders got center Bryan Smolinski.

Smolinski would put up 139 points in 227 games for the Isles.

Washington Capitals | 1979 2nd (Tomas Jonsson)

Two Stanley Cups, 532 games, 333 points. That’s what defenseman Tomas Jonsson accomplished with the New York Islanders. And all the Isles had to give up was Michel Bergeron. Bergeron would play 30 games for the Capitals.

Honorable mention: Gord Lane, Jaroslav Halak

UNIONDALE, NY – OCTOBER 29: (R-L) Pierre Turgeon and Steve Thomas return to the ice as the New York Islanders celebrate their 1992-1993 team prior to the game against the San Jose Sharks Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on October 29, 2011 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks | Steve Thomas

For Brent Sutter and Brad Lauer, the Islanders got Adam Creighton and Steve Thomas. Thomas had already scored 70 points in his NHL career, but with the Islanders, he’d hit new heights.

In 79 games during the 1992-93 season, Thomas scored 37 goals and 87 points. In total, he’d play 275 games and score 258 points for the Isles.

Honorable mention: Nick Leddy

Colorado Avalanche: Wendel Clark

I didn’t count trades with the Colorado Rockies because they aren’t currently in the NHL. Otherwise, Pat LaFontaine would have easily been the player here.

The Isles picked up Wendel Clark from the Avalanche for Claude Lemieux who they had just picked up from the New Jersey Devils with Steve Thomas going the other way.

Clark would play 58 games and score 43 points before being traded back to Toronto in that six-player swap that gave the Isles Kenny Jonsson and the pick that would be used to draft Roberto Luongo.

Dallas Stars: 2006 2nd (Jesse Joensuu)

There haven’t been many deals between these two teams. On five occasions the Stars and Islanders have made a trade. I’m not counting deals done with the Minnesota North Stars.

In 2006, the Islanders sent Janne Niinimaa to the Stars along with a fifth-round pick in 2007 for John Erskine and a 2006 second-round pick. The Isles used that pick to take Jesse Joensuu.

Over four seasons, Joensuu played 67 games and scored 15 points. Erskine would play 34 games for the Isles scoring a single point.

Minnesota Wild: 2009 1st (Calvin de Haan)

At the 2009 draft, the Islanders moved up four spots to 12th overall by sending the 16th, 77th, and 181st overall pick to the Wild. Garth Snow used that 12th overall pick to take Calvin de Haan.

Calvin de Haan was a good top-four defender for the Isles playing 304 games over six seasons.

Nashville Predators: 2008 1st (Josh Bailey)

The Isles moved down twice in the 2008 draft. The first time was from fifth to seventh in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The second time was from seventh to eighth in a deal with the Nashville Predators.

With the eighth overall pick, the Islanders selected Josh Bailey. Since 2008, Bailey has played 865 games. That makes Bailey the fifth longest-tenured Islander in franchise history, and with another four years on his contract, Bailey could overtake current franchise leader Bryan Trottier (1,123 GP).

St Louis Blues: Brian Lavender

In 1972, the Islanders picked up Brian Lavender in a cash transaction with the Blues. Lavender would play 43 games with the Islanders before being sent to Detroit in a four-player deal four months later.

Winnipeg Jets: N/A

The Islanders have never made a trade with the current edition of the Winnipeg Jets.

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 29: Former New York Islander Butch Goring is honored by the team as his #91 jersey is retired and hung in the rafters prior to the game between the Islanders and the Boston Bruins at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on February 29, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks | Lubomir Visnovsky

At 36 years old by the time he got to the Island, Visnovsky was never the player he was for the Ducks. But in three years for the Islanders, he played 112 games and was a solid defenseman for a franchise that desperately needed the help.

Arizona Coyotes | Brad Isbister

The Islanders got good value in a deal that sent Robert Reichel and two picks to the Coyotes for Brad Isbister and a third-round pick. Reichel would only play 13 games for the Coyotes while Isbister would play 247 games for the Isles and score 135 points.

Isbister would bounce around the league after the Isles but would never hit the same heights he did while he was with the Islanders.

Calgary Flames | Robert Reichel

The Islanders never got that 40 goals and 90 point version of Robert Reichel, but he still produced 140 points in 164 games over three seasons before the Isles shipped him to Arizona (then Phoenix) for Brad Isbister.

Edmonton Oilers: 2015 1st (Mathew Barzal)

What a steal by the Islanders. They sent failed fourth-overall pick, Griffin Reinhart, to Edmonton for the 16th overall pick in 2015 and a 2015 second-round. The Isles would use that 16th overall pick to select Mathew Barzal.

In his first full NHL season, Barzal won the Calder trophy with an incredible 99.15 percent of the votes. He has 207 points in 234 games in his young NHL career and is now the face of the franchise.

Imagine what could have been if Edmonton pulled Connor McDavid and Mathew Barzal in the same draft? Griffin Reinhart is now playing in the KHL.

Los Angeles Kings: Butch Goring

The missing piece of the puzzle; Butch Goring. With Goring in the fold, the Islanders went from Cup hopefuls to four-time Cup champions.

Goring would play 332 regular-season games and score 195 points. In the playoffs, Goring would play 99 games for the Isles and score 68 points. In 1981 he won the Conn Smythe with 20 points in 18 games.

Goring’s number 91 was retired by the Islanders in 2020, that’s how big of an impact he’s had on the franchise.

San Jose Sharks | Tyler Kennedy

The Isles and Sharks have made six trades since the Sharks came into the league in 1991. The best player the Isles pulled was Tyler Kennedy. He played 13 games for the Islanders in 2014-15.

Vancouver Canucks | Dave Scatchard

Dave Scatchard came to the Isles in the December 19, 1999 trade between the Isles and Canucks that sent Felix Potvin to Vancouver for Bill Muckalt, Kevin Weekes, and Scatchard.

Across five seasons with the Islanders, Scatchard scored 168 points in 347 games. He hit a career-high 45 points twice while wearing the Blue and Orange. Something he’d never do in the 312 games outside of the organization.

Vegas Golden Knights | Expansion Draft Considerations

It’s the only deal these two teams have made. Leading up to the Vegas expansion draft, the Isles sent Mikail Grabovsky’s contract, Jake Bischoff, a first-round pick in 2017, and a second-round pick in 2019 so that Vegas would leave certain unprotected players alone.

That unprotected list included Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson, Calvin de Haan, Thomas Hickey and Casey Cizikas.

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