The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based on Long Island. They are members of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise has been a part of the NHL since their inception in 1972, which is also the first year they participated in the annual NHL entry draft, where participating teams select newly eligible players in a predetermined order. They have chosen 459 players over 52 drafts, including the nine Supplemental Drafts, which took place in the NHL from 1986 to 1994 for players in American colleges.

The NHL Entry Draft eligibility requires players to have turned 18 years old by September 15 in the year the draft is held, excluding players older than 20 years old before December 31 of that same year, the latter not applying to non-North American players. The draft order is determined by the previous season's order of finish: non-playoff teams draft first in order of placement in the standings, followed by teams that competed in the post-season whose order is determined by the Stanley Cup playoffs results. Once the regular season is over, a weighted lottery is held for the 14 teams who miss the playoffs, giving teams the opportunity to move up to a higher pick including the first overall selection. From 1995 to 2012, a team that won the lottery could only move up a maximum of four picks, preventing some teams from winning the top selection regardless of winning the lottery. During that time, the Islanders won the lottery twice, receiving the top selection both times (2000 and 2009). The team finished last in the league standings in the 2000–01 season, but picked second in the draft after the Atlanta Thrashers won the lottery.

The Islanders have selected first overall five times, including their first season participating in the draft (1972) when they selected Billy Harris, as well as 1973 (Denis Potvin), 2000 (Rick DiPietro), 2009 (John Tavares), and 2025 (Matthew Schaefer). Harris played with the Islanders for eight seasons before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings, while Potvin and DiPietro spent their entire NHL careers with the Islanders. Tavares was with the team from 2009 when he was drafted and served as their team captain until 2018 when he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs during Unrestricted Free Agency. Currently Anders Lee serves as the captain. Only three players, Potvin, Bryan Trottier (1974) and Josh Bailey (2008), have played over 1000 games with the Islanders, though eight others have played at least 1000 games in the NHL. Five draft picks have gone on to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Potvin, Clark Gillies (1974), Trottier, Mike Bossy (1977), and Pat LaFontaine (1983). All, except LaFontaine, have had their uniform number retired by the team.

Key Spent entire NHL career with the Islanders () Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame () Number retired by the Islanders

+ General terms and abbreviations Term or abbreviation Definition Draft The year that the player was selected Round The round of the draft in which the player was selected Pick The overall position in the draft at which the player was selected S Supplemental draft selection + Position abbreviations Abbreviation DefinitionG GoaltenderD DefensemanLW Left wingC CenterRW Right wingF Forward

+ Abbreviations for statistical columns Abbreviation DefinitionPos PositionGP Games playedG GoalsA AssistsPts PointsPIM Penalties in minutesW WinsL LossesT TiesOT Overtime/shootout lossesGAA Goals against average— Does not apply

Draft picks Statistics are complete as of the 2025–26 NHL season and show each player's career regular season totals in the NHL. Wins, losses, ties, overtime losses and goals against average apply to goaltenders and are used only for players at that position.

+ List of all players drafted by the New York Islanders and their statistical accomplishmentsDraftRoundPickPlayerNationalityPosGPGAPtsPIMWLTOTGAA 1972 Canada Canada Sweden Canada Canada Canada Canada 3.85 Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada 1973 Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada 3.57 Canada Canada Canada Canada 1974 Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada United States Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Sweden United States Canada United States Canada Finland Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 United States 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Canada 1975 Finland 1976 Canada 1976 Canada 1976 Canada 1976 United States 1976 Canada 1976 Canada 1977 Canada 1977 Canada 1977 Canada 1977 Canada 1977 Canada 1977 Finland 4.00 1977 United States 1977 Sweden 1978 Canada 1978 Canada 1978 Canada 1978 United States 1978 Canada 1978 Canada 1978 Canada 1978 United States 1978 Canada 1978 Sweden 1978 Sweden 1979 Canada 1979 Sweden 1979 Canada 1979 Canada 3.44 1979 Canada 1979 Canada 1979 Canada 1980 Canada 1980 Canada 3.43 1980 Canada 1980 United States 1980 Canada 1980 United States 1980 Canada 1980 United States 1980 Canada 1980 Canada 1980 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Finland 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1981 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 United States 1982 United States 1982 Canada 1982 Canada 1982 United States 1982 Canada 1983 United States 1983 Canada 1983 Canada 1983 Canada 1983 Finland 1983 United States 1983 Canada 1983 United States 1983 United States 1983 Canada 1983 Canada 1983 Canada 1983 United States 1983 United States 1984 Canada 1984 Canada 1984 United States 1984 United States 1984 Finland 1984 Canada 1984 United States 1984 Canada 1984 Canada 1984 United Kingdom 1984 Czechoslovakia 1984 United States 1984 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Sweden 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1985 Canada 1986 United States 1986 United States 1986 Canada 1986 Canada 1986 Canada 1986 Canada 1986 Canada 1986 Canada 1986 Canada 1986 United States 1986 United States 1986 Canada 1986 United States 1986 Canada 1986 S United States 1987 Canada 1987 Canada 2.90 1987 Canada 1987 Canada 6.43 1987 Czechoslovakia 1987 Canada 1987 Norway 1987 United States 1987 United States 1987 United States 1987 United States 1987 United States 1987 S United States 1988 Canada 1988 Canada 1988 Canada 1988 Canada 4.20 1988 Canada 1988 Canada 1988 Czechoslovakia 1988 United States 1988 Canada 1988 United States 1988 United States 1988 United States 1988 United States 1988 United States 1988 United States 1988 S Canada 1989 Canada 1989 Canada 1989 United States 1989 Canada 1989 United States 1989 Canada 1989 United States 1989 United States 1989 United States 1989 Canada 1989 United States 1989 Soviet Union 1989 Canada 1989 Canada 1989 S Canada 1989 S United States 1990 Canada 1990 Canada 1990 United States 1990 United States 1990 Finland 1990 United States 1990 Canada 1990 United States 1990 Canada 1990 Canada 1990 United States 1990 S United States 1991 United States 1991 Czechoslovakia 1991 Canada 2.68 1991 Czechoslovakia 3.48 1991 Canada 1991 United States 1991 Sweden 1991 Canada 1991 Canada 1991 United States 1991 Sweden 1991 United States 1991 S United States 1991 S United States 1992 Lithuania 1992 Canada 1992 Czechoslovakia 1992 Canada 1992 Canada 1992 Russia 1992 Canada 1992 Canada 1992 Canada 1992 United States 1992 Russia 1992 S Canada 1993 Canada 1993 Canada 1993 Russia 1993 Canada 1993 Sweden 2.55 1993 Canada 1993 Canada 1993 Canada 1993 Sweden 1993 Canada 1993 Canada 1994 Canada 1994 Canada 1994 Canada 1994 Canada 1994 Canada 1994 United States 1994 United States 1994 Canada 1994 Sweden 1994 Canada 1994 Canada 1994 Sweden 1995 Canada 1995 Czech Republic 1995 Canada 1995 Slovakia 1995 Canada 1995 Canada 1995 Canada 1996 Canada 1996 United States 1996 Slovakia 1996 Canada 5.18 1996 United States 1996 Czech Republic 1996 Canada 1996 United States 1996 Russia 1996 Canada 1997 Canada 2.52 1997 Canada 1997 Canada 1997 Canada 1997 Czech Republic 1997 Czech Republic 1997 United States 1997 Canada 1997 Canada 1997 Canada 1997 Canada 1998 United States 1998 Tanzania 1998 Canada 1998 Czech Republic 1998 United States 1998 Russia 1998 Canada 1998 United States 1998 Canada 1998 Czech Republic 1999 United States 1999 Canada 1999 Slovakia 1999 Slovakia 1999 Sweden 1999 United States 1999 Slovakia 1999 Sweden 1999 Canada 1999 United States 1999 Sweden 1999 Czech Republic 1999 United States 1999 United States 2000 United States 2.87 2000 Canada 2000 Finland 2000 Russia 2000 Kazakhstan 2000 Sweden 2000 Canada 2000 Russia 2000 Finland 2001 Canada 2001 Czech Republic 2001 Canada 3.46 2001 Czech Republic 2001 Canada 2001 United States 2001 Russia 2001 Finland 2002 Finland 2002 Denmark 2002 Sweden 2002 Russia 2002 Canada 2002 Czech Republic 2002 Sweden 2003 Canada 2003 Russia 2003 Russia 2003 Canada 2003 Slovakia 2003 Canada 2003 Slovakia 2003 United States 2003 Russia 2004 Finland 2004 Canada 2004 Russia 2004 Canada 2004 Canada 2004 Czech Republic 2004 Sweden 2004 Canada 2004 Canada 2004 Canada 2005 Canada 2005 Canada 2005 Canada 2005 Finland 2005 Canada 2005 United States 2005 Canada 2006 United States 2006 Finland 2006 Sweden 2006 United States 2006 Canada 2006 Slovakia 2006 United States 2006 United States 2006 Sweden 2006 Canada 2006 United States 2006 Sweden 2006 United States 2007 Canada 2007 Canada 2007 Russia 2007 United States 2007 Canada 2008 Canada 2008 Canada 2008 United States 2008 Canada 2008 Canada 2008 Finland 2008 Russia 2008 United States 2008 Sweden 2008 Canada 3.07 2008 Canada 2008 Canada 2008 Canada 2009 Canada 2009 Canada 2009 Finland 3.02 2009 Sweden 3.06 2009 Canada 2009 Russia 2009 United States 2010 Switzerland 2010 United States 2010 Russia 2010 United States 2010 United States 2010 Canada 2011 Canada 2011 United States 2011 Sweden 2011 Russia 2011 United States 2011 Sweden 2011 Canada 2011 Canada 2012 Canada 2012 Finland 2012 Canada 2012 Canada 2012 United States 2012 Canada 2012 United States 2013 Canada 2013 United States 2013 United States 2013 United States 2013 Sweden 2013 Canada 2013 Canada 2014 Canada 2014 Canada 2014 Russia 2.59 2014 Sweden 2014 Canada 2014 United States 2014 United States 2015 Canada 2015 Canada 2015 Canada 2015 Canada 2015 Canada 2015 China 2015 Sweden 2016 United States 2016 Russia 2016 Finland 2016 United States 2016 United States 2016 Canada 2017 Finland 2017 United States 2017 Sweden 2017 Canada 2017 United States 2018 United States 2018 Canada 2018 United States 2018 Russia 2018 Czech Republic 3.94 2018 United States 2018 United States 2018 United States 2019 Sweden 2019 Canada 2019 Canada 2019 Canada 2019 United States 2020 Sweden 2020 United States 2020 Canada 2020 Finland 2020 Finland 2021 Finland 2021 Canada 12.72 2021 United States 2021 Finland 2021 Finland 2021 Czech Republic 2022 Sweden 2022 United States 2022 Canada 2022 Canada 2022 Canada 2023 United States Finland Canada United States Sweden 2024 United States Finland United States Russia Sweden Canada 2025 Canada Sweden Canada Russia Canada Czech Republic United States Canada United States 2026 Sweden United States Czechia Russia United States

See also List of New York Islanders players 1972 NHL Expansion Draft

References