Ranking New York Islanders’ all-time Top 5 strongest NHL draft classes

The New York Islanders have had some largely forgettable NHL draft classes. A low point would be selecting Rick DiPietro first-overall in 2000.

But aside from the swings and misses, the New York Islanders have hit it out of the park in some other draft classes. In particular, two back-to-back classes stand out as highly successful ones.

So, here’s a look at the top five New York Islanders’ draft classes of all-time.

Top five New York Islanders NHL draft classes

#5 2015

Leading off is the 2015 NHL draft class. The New York Islanders selected Mathew Barzal with the 16th-overall pick. Barzal has been a cornerstone for the Islanders, particularly during the team’s back-to-back Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2020 and 2021.

The Islanders also took Anthony Beauvillier with its other first-round pick at #28. He was the main piece in the Bo Horvat trade, going to the Vancouver Canucks.

Of the remaining picks, only Parker Wotherspoon, now with the Boston Bruins, made it to the NHL.

#4 1991

The 1991 NHL Draft saw the New York Islanders take several key players for the team. The Isles selected fourth overall, taking Scott Lachance. He played from 1991 to 1999 in Long Island.

In the second round, the Isles took Zigmund Palffy. He had three strong seasons, notching 87 points twice and 90 once. He moved on from New York, playing in 684 games, scoring 713 points.

The Islanders selected goalie Jamie McLennan with the #48 pick. The now-analyst was somewhat of a journeyman throughout his career.

The 1991 class also saw the Islanders take three other players who would make it to the NHL, but with limited results.

#3 1977

The New York Islanders’ 1980s dynasty was built over successive drafts instead of one or two successful ones. But the 1977 draft stands out as the Islanders took two of their core players, Mike Bossy with the #15 pick and John Tonelli with the 33rd.

Bossy would go on to become one of the best goal-scorers in NHL history, with Tonelli notching 836 points in over 1,000 NHL games.

The other players taken in the draft did not impress, with Hector Marini, a third-rounder, being part of the 1981 championship team.

#2 2008

The Islanders had back-to-back strong classes starting in 2008. The Isles’ first-rounder that season was Josh Bailey. A career Islander, Bailey suited up for 1,057 games registering 580 points.

Matt Martin, another heart-and-soul Islander, was a fifth-round pick taken 148th. Except for a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Martin was a cornerstone player for the Isles.

The club also selected Travis Hamonic with the 53rd pick and Jared Spurgeon in the sixth round. Spurgeon would go on to captain the Minnesota Wild.

Five other players made it to the NHL from the 2008 Isles’ class, though none made an impact.

#1 2009

The 2009 NHL Draft was the year John Tavares went first-overall to the Islanders. Tavares would captain the Islanders, leading the team to its first playoff series win in over two decades. However, he would betray the Isles’ fan base by departing via free agency in 2018.

Calvin de Haan was another first-rounder, going at #12. De Haan has been somewhat of a journeyman, last playing with the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers this past season.

The Isles also took another heart-and-soul guy, Casey Cizikas, in the fourth round with the 92nd pick. But the most notable pick in 2009 was current captain Anders Lee, taken in the sixth round with the 152nd pick.

All seven players taken in 2009 made the NHL with defenseman Anton Klementyev playing just one NHL game.