Our NHL Saturday miniseries continues with a look at the great stars of the New York Islanders, one of third-wave Expansion Era franchises. Since 1972, the Isles have won four NHL titles, although they all came in a row a long time ago. Since the mid-1980s, this New York franchise has made the Eastern Conference Finals just once, despite making the postseason on a somewhat regular basis. Oh well … give it time, right?

No. 10: Clark Gillies, LW—54 PS (1974-1986)

After being the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, he ended up making two All-Star teams (1978-1979) and winning four consecutive Stanley Cups with the Islanders—like most guys on this list did. He posted 663 points and 891 PIMs in 872 regular-season games with the team, and he added 93 points and 262 PIMs in 159 postseason games, as well. He did some dirty work for New York, to be sure, and he is in the Hall for it.

No. 9: Anders Lee, LW—55 PS (2012-present)

He’s never been an All Star, and that’s okay, as he’s been a steady producer as a sixth-round pick in the draft. Over his entire career, all with the Isles, he’s contributed 453 points and 467 PIMs in the regular season (759 games) to go with 21 points and 48 PIMs in the postseason (46 games). He did finish ninth in the Calder vote after his rookie year, and in the most recent year, he won the Clancy, given for leadership on and off ice.

No. 8: Stefan Persson, D—57 PS (1977-1986)

Playing in an offensive-minded era of hockey, this 14th-round draft pick hung around for all 10 of his NHL seasons with New York, winning four Cups in the process. Twice, he did finish in the Top 15 vote for the Norris (1979, 1981), however. His best season? That was 1979 when he came in with 9.7 Point Shares for a team that reached the playoff semis. His plus-176 rating for his regular-season career tells us a lot, too.

No. 7: Brock Nelson, C—60 PS (2013-present)

As the No. 30 overall pick in the draft, he hasn’t necessarily disappointed, but he’s also not really been worthy of the first-round pick designation, either, having never made an All-Star team. He’s only put up 531 points in 840 regular-season games, and the primary reason for his place on this list is the longevity with the franchise. His best season came in 2023 with 9.1 Point Shares, so he’s gotten close to stardom at least.

No. 6: Glenn Resch, G—64 PS (1973-1981)

A two-time All Star with the Islanders (1976, 1979), he also helped the franchise win its first Cup in 1980. Alas, the organization traded him away the following season. But the undrafted goaltender also led his peers in save percentage in both those All-Star seasons, and his overall 157-69-47 record with the team in the regular season says a lot. The 17-17 record in the postseason could explain why the team passed him on.

No. 5: John Tavares, C—74 PS (2009-2018)

The No. 1 overall pick, he was fifth in the Calder voting and only made 1 All-Star roster before leaving via free agency. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t good, however: his 621 points in 669 regular-season games on some bad teams stands out as impressive. So do his two Top-3 finishes in the Hart vote (2013, 2015) while with the Islanders. He did manage 22 points in 24 playoff contests with New York, however, so that’s nice.

No. 4: Mike Bossy, RW—111 PS (1977-1987)

You can see how the quality of player jumps here in terms of Point Shares: the No. 15 overall pick, he was our pick for the 1981 Conn Smythe. He also won the Calder vote in 1978, in addition to being an 8-time All Star (1978-1979, 1981-1986). Three times, he took home the Lady Byng as well, so he had a very impressive career, which, of course, put him in the Hall of Fame. Check out his highlights on YouTube for more joy.

No. 3: Bryan Trottier, C—118 PS (1975-1990)

A second rounder, he won the Conn Smythe in 1980 as the Isles won their first-ever Stanley Cup championship. He won the 1976 Calder vote; he also won the Hart vote in 1979. In addition, he was a four-time All Star (1978-1979, 1982, 1984) as he helped New York win four Cups in a row. We’d say that’s pretty good return on a second-round pick. Did we mention he topped the NHL in scoring once (1979), as well?

No. 2: Billy Smith, G—124 PS (1972-1989)

The Los Angeles Kings drafted him in the fifth round, but the Isles stole him in the 1972 expansion draft. That paid off well for New York: he won the Vezina vote in 1982 during his only All-Star season, and we chose him for the Conn Smythe that year, too. Then he went out and won the Conn Smythe vote in 1983, to boot. He won 304 regular season games for the Islanders, and he won 88 playoff matchups with them, too.

No. 1: Denis Potvin, D—161 PS (1973-1988)

The top guy on this list, by far, might surprise some readers: he won the 1974 Calder vote, and he won three Norris votes (1976, 1978-1979). We gave him another Vezina in 1981, too, not to mention the 1983 Conn Smythe. At one point in his career, he made five straight All-Star teams (1975-1979), and then he went out and made two more later (1981, 1984) as the Islanders reached the Cup Finals in 1984 despite losing.