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Ranking the NY Islanders Ten Top-10 Draft Picks of the 1990's

By Michael Stahurski|
New York Rangers v New York Islanders
New York Rangers v New York Islanders | B Bennett/GettyImages
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3. Wade Redden (2nd Overall, 1995)

Another instance of a top-10 pick never lacing up for the Islanders, but this one worked out for the Isles.

Wade Redden was taken second overall, behind the top pick of the Ottawa Senators, Bryan Berard. Berard believed he was ready to contribute in the NHL immediately, but the Sens thought otherwise, returning him to Detroit, to continue in junior hockey. Berard, unhappy that he wasn't part of the Senators plans for the 1995-96 season, demanded a trade.

The Isles sent Redden to Ottawa as the pivotal piece that landed Berard on Long Island. Redden went on to have a phenomenal career, playing in 1,023 games over 15 seasons, recording 457 points. Though he never played for the Isles, he's part of Islanders history as Berard became one of the team's top players of the 90s.

2. Darius Kasparaitis (5th Overall, 1992)

One of the names synonymous with the Islanders in the 90s, Darius Kasparaitis, brought grit every night for teams that struggled to accumulate points. Kasparaitis stepped into the lineup as an 18-year-old, unwilling to back down from the biggest of opponents.

Kasparaitis's career was played across 16 seasons and four teams, scoring 163 points as a defenseman who could wear down the most formidable opponents. He spent just five seasons with the Islanders, traded a month into the 1996 season to the Penguins in exchange for Bryan Smolinski.

Since his retirement, Kasparaitis has been around the organization more often following the construction of UBS Arena. He'll always remain a fan favorite among the Islander faithful.

1. Roberto Luongo (4th Overall, 1997)

One of the trades the Islanders and Mike Millbury wish they could have back. After playing just 24 games for the Islanders, Millbury shipped off what would become one of the best goaltenders in NHL history, Roberto Luongo, to draft Rick DiPietro.

Luongo and Olli Jokinen were shipped to the Florida Panthers for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha before the 2000 NHL Draft, as the trade became one of regret and will haunt the Islanders, wondering what could have been.

Luongo played in 1,044 regular season games, winning 489 of those, making him the fourth-most winning goaltender in NHL history. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022, most known for his time with the Panthers and Vancouver Canucks.

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