Who are the most memorable one-year wonders in NY Islanders history?

Some players spend years making their mark with the New York Islanders, while others flash onto the scene for just one season before moving on, leaving fans with a brief but memorable run. These one-year wonders didn’t stick around long, but their impact was undeniable.

This weekend, I saw a post on X asking "Who's the one-season wonder who wore your team's jersey and then vanished?" That got me thinking about the players in Islanders history who came and gone after one season. Some of them, were not on Long Island for even a full season.

In 2013-14, the Islanders made a bold move, trading fan favorite Matt Moulson for elite winger Thomas Vanek in hopes of finally giving John Tavares that perfect scoring partner. Vanek didn’t disappoint on the scoresheet, producing 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in just 47 games alongside Tavares and Kyle Okposo. Despite the team’s offer, Vanek had no interest in moving with the franchise to Brooklyn, bringing the experiment to an end.

In 2018-19, Robin Lehner became a fan favorite both on and off the ice. Signed after Buffalo let him walk, Lehner opened up about his battles with addiction and mental health while winning the Masterton Trophy. His play in net was equally impressive — a 25-13-5 record, .930 save percentage, and 2.13 goals-against average — but he departed in free agency after just one season to Chicago after he and Lou Lamoriello surprisingly couldn't agree on terms. The Isles opted to instead sign Semyon Varlamov to a four-year contract.

Victor Kozlov arrived in 2006-07 with expectations tempered by a down year in New Jersey, yet he turned in a resurgent performance with a career-high 25 goals and 51 points, helping the Isles clinch an unexpected playoff spot. That same season, Garth Snow's memorable trade deadline pickup Ryan Smyth brought grit and leadership, logging 15 points in 18 games while averaging over 22 minutes a night. He also added four points in five playoff games before signing with Colorado. There was never really any hope that Captain Canada would remain on Long Island.

In 1995-96, Wendel Clark brought a scoring punch with 24 goals in 58 games before being dealt back to Toronto in a trade that netted Kenny Jonsson and the first-round pick used to draft Roberto Luongo. And in 2012-13, Brad Boyes was a savvy Snow acquisition, contributing 35 points in the lockout-shortened season and helping push the Isles back into the playoffs.

Other honorable mentions include Valtteri Filppula, an under-the-radar Lamoriello free agency signing who had 17 goals in 72 games for the Isles in Barry Trotz's first season behind the bench. Another is Marek Zidlicky, who played 53 regular-season games for the Isles in 2015-16 and was part of the blueline that helped the Isles advance in the postseason for the first time since 1993.

Short stays, big contributions — these players proved you don’t need years in blue and orange to leave a lasting impression.