The Five Worst First-Round Draft Picks in NY Islanders History

A wise man once said "The NHL Draft is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're going to get." OK, those may not be the exact words, but you get the picture. No matter how much research, scouting, and time teams put into the draft, no one ever really knows what will happen to these prospects.

At the beginning of the franchise's history, it seemed like all they did was hit home runs. The Isles built their dynasty in the 80s with their first-round draft picks, selecting guys like Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, and Clark Gillies, and also by drafting staples in Islander history such as Patrick Flatley, Pat LaFontaine, and Brent Sutter.

They even drafted exceptionally well in the 90s, picking Todd Bertuzzi, Wade Redden, Roberto Luongo, and Eric Brewer. However, in the 90s, no top pick was safe. No matter how poorly the Islanders were back then, then-GM Mike Milbury would trade away the young and talented for veterans who, to their credit, were successful on the Island. It's just hard not to envision a scenario where the young guys would put the Islanders on a more prosperous path.

With all those home runs, the Islanders swung and missed quite a few times. No prospect is guaranteed success in the top hockey league in the world, but there were opportunities to get game changing players.

Let's take a journey and take a look at the five worst first-round draft picks in Islander history.