Eyes On Isles
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Islanders best player acquired by trade from every NHL team

ByMichel Anderson|
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)
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)
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New York Islanders
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

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