The New York Islanders top-10 list is full of players who won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the early 1980s. The star-studded group featured five Hall-of-Famers and launched the Islanders into relevancy less than a decade into their existence. Even with the Islanders recent success, not many players have challenged those all-time greats to crack the list of the greatest players in Islanders' history.
#1 Islanders player of all-time: Denis Potvin
The number one position on this list is truly a coin flip. The dynasty was led by Mike Bossy up front and Denis Potvin in the back. Potvin gets the nod on this list due to his longevity, awards history, and captaincy.
Potvin won three Norris Trophies for the best defenseman while also scoring 310 goals in his career. He was on the NHL's 100th Anniversary Team, is a member of the Hall of Fame, and has his number 5 retired by the Islanders. The dynasty would not have happened without Potvin, making him the greatest player in franchise history.
#2: Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy would be number one on a lot of lists. He scored 573 goals in just 752 games, good enough for the most goals per game in NHL history. He scored 50 goals in 50 games for just the second time in NHL history in 1981 and potted 50 goals in each of his first nine seasons. Bossy never won a Hart Trophy, playing against Wayne Gretzky will do that to you, but was a first or second-team All-Star in eight of his ten seasons.
The offensive numbers are gaudy and his importance to the dynasty is undeniable, but his shorter career and lack of major awards places him second on the list. Bossy is a member of the Hall of Fame and has his number 22 retired by the Islanders
#3: Bryan Trottier
The third player on the list also was a member of all four Stanley Cup teams and was the center that helped Bossy score all of those goals. Bryan Trottier has the most assists, 853, and the most points, 1,353, in franchise history. He did win a Hart Trophy in 1978-79, backed by a franchise-high 87 assists.
Trottier is the third member of the Islanders Mount Rushmore. He is another key piece to the dynasty that stayed around for all four Stanley Cups. He has a case for locking down the number one spot, but slotting him in at three is the furthest thing from disrespect. Trottier is a Hall-of-Famer and has his number 19 retired by the Islanders.
#4: Billy Smith
No Stanley Cup Championship, let alone a dynasty, is possible without a goalie. The Islanders had one of the best in the 1980s with Billy Smith. Equally feared for his massive saves and hot temper, Smith backstopped the Islanders for 17 seasons in which they made 13 playoff appearances.
In the playoffs from 1980-1984, won a ridiculous 69 games as the Islanders won four straight Cups and went to a fifth straight Cup Final. He won a Vezina Trophy for best goaltender, a Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP, and was a first-team All-Star. He is also in the Hall-of-Fame and his number 31 is retired by the Islanders.
#5: Clark Gillies
The rough-and-tumble style of the 1980s necessitated an enforcer for any team who wanted to survive the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Islanders had Clark Gillies. He paired his fighting ability with 300 career goals to secure a spot in the Hall of Fame.
He also spent his retirement on Long Island, creating the Clark Gillies Foundation that assisted kids in need. The pediatric ward of Huntington Hospital is named after Gillies, as is an ice arena in Dix Hills. His contributions in retirement made him an Islander legend of all generations before Gillies passing in 2022.
#6: Pat LaFontaine
The first member of the Islanders' top 10 who was not part of the dynasty is Pat LaFontaine. He made his debut at 18 years old in 1983-84 and played in 16 games on their final run to the Cup Final that season. He then quickly ushered in a new era in 1985-86 when he scored 30 goals for the first time in eight consecutive seasons.
LaFontaine left in the middle of that run, with the final two seasons coming as a Buffalo Sabre. The Islanders sent him to Buffalo in exchange for Pierre Turgon and three other players in 1991. While he did not play his whole career with the Islanders and did not win a major award, he supplemented the great roster with supreme goal-scoring. He also scored one of the most iconic goals in franchise history in the 1987 playoffs.
#7: Bobby Nystrom
The four Stanley Cups often get looped together as one big dynasty, which is fair considering it is the last time any team has won three straight Cups. The one that started it all was won by the most important and iconic goal in the history of the Islanders, Tonelli to Nystrom.
Bobby Nystrom played 900 games over 14 seasons, all with the Islanders. He scored the goal to clinch the Stanley Cup and was a member of the other three teams as well. He ranks 12th on the franchise leaderboard in points and has his number 23 retired by the franchise.
#8: Brent Sutter
A forgotten piece of the dynasty, Brent Sutter came in during the run to provide more depth and performed perfectly. He spent parts of 12 seasons with the Islanders, pouring in 287 goals to tie LaFontaine for fifth all-time on the franchise list. Sutter and LaFontaine represented a second wave of great players to extend the Islanders' chances at a fifth Stanley Cup.
Sutter is not a member of the Hall-of-Fame but is in the Islanders Hall-of-Fame. he won the final two Stanley Cups, scoring 12 goals in the playoffs during those runs. The 1983 run is his best playoff performance, with 10 goals in 20 games.
#9: John Tavares
The Islanders were not only the worst team in hockey but among the worst franchises in all of sports when the 2008-09 season wrapped up. They came in dead last in the standings, had a questionable future with their stadium, and hadn't won a playoff series in 16 seasons. They won the first overall pick in the draft lottery and selected center John Tavares.
Despite the controversial end of his time on Long Island, Tavares still represents the beginning of a new era for the franchise. He led the team to their first playoff series win in 23 years in 2016 and ranks eighth in franchise history in goals. His presence closed out Nassau Coliseum for the first time and ushered in a new, but short, era at the Barclays Center. No matter your thoughts on his departure, Tavares' impact on Islanders history is undeniable.
#10: Brock Nelson
The only active Islander on this list, Brock Nelson represents each of the Islanders' eras in recent memory. He was a youngster on the Tavares-led teams that made the playoffs, became a solid middle-of-the-lineup player while the Islanders were in Brooklyn, and became a playoff star on the two runs to the Conference Semi-Finals in 2020 and 2021.
He ranks seventh on the franchise goals list and eleventh on the points list. Nelson has scored 35 goals in each of the last three seasons and if he reaches 36 in 2024-25, he will jump to third on the franchise goals list. Whether he remains with the Islanders after his contract expires is yet to be seen, but another extension could shoot him up this list.
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