Eyes On Isles
Fansided

Islanders best player acquired by trade from every NHL team

By Michel 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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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)
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.

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