Top 10 offseason trades ever by the Islanders

General manager Mathieu Darche postulated his two best “trades” this offseason may well be getting a healthy Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Alexander Romanov back into the Islanders’ lineup.

Still, there’s a decent chance Darche will attempt to make some kind of deal(s) to bolster his lineup and return the Islanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2024. He certainly made an impactful trade last offseason — his first with the Islanders — sending defenseman Noah Dobson to the Canadiens after a contract impasse for wing Emil Heineman and two first-round picks that he used on forward Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.

Time will ultimately judge that trade but, for now, it did not crack our list of the Islanders’ top 10 offseason deals. Here’s what did:

10.  Acquiring Alexander Romanov and Isaiah George, July 7, 2022

On draft day in Montreal, then-GM Lou Lamoriello sent the 13th overall pick to the Canadiens for Romanov, then a 22-year-old who had built a reputation as a hard checker in his first two NHL seasons and now entering the second season of an eight-year, $50 million deal. The Islanders used the fourth-round pick they also acquired on defenseman Isaiah George, who may finally crack the top six for good next season. The Canadiens acquired Kirby Dach from Chicago for the pick, which was used on forward Frank Nazar.

9. Trent Hunter, May 23, 2000

Then-GM Mike Milbury is rightfully blamed for a lot but sending a fourth-round pick to the Ducks for forward Trent Hunter, who compiled 99 goals and 130 assists in 459 games for the Islanders over eight seasons, was a very solid move. The Ducks picked forward Jonas Ronnqvist, who had four assists in 38 NHL games, at No. 98.

8. Mariusz Czerkawski arrives, Aug. 25, 1997

Milbury did even better to acquire forward Mariusz Czerkawski, who notched 145 goals and 150 assists in 470 games for the Islanders over six seasons, from the Oilers for Dan LaCouture, who became a journeyman pugilist.

7. Aucoin, Yashin and Peca, June 22-24, 2001

Milbury was quite busy over a three-day period. First, he acquired workhorse defenseman Adrian Aucoin and forward Alexander Kharitonov from the Lightning for defenseman Mathieu Biron and a 2002 second-round pick that turned into defenseman Denis Grot, who never played in North America. Then, he acquired future captain Alexei Yashin from the Senators — he had been holding out — for a package that included defenseman Zdeno Chara and a first-round pick that turned into Jason Spezza (the weakest of the three trades even if Yashin’s time with the Islanders is too unfairly maligned). Finally, elite two-way center Michael Peca — also embroiled in a contract dispute — was acquired from the Sabres for forwards Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt. It was a seismic team makeover.

6. Cal Clutterbuck forms 'Identity Line', June 30, 2013

Then-GM Garth Snow acquired fourth-line mainstay Cal Clutterbuck and a 2013 third-round pick used on goalie Eamon McAdam for forward Nino Niederreiter, who went on to have a solid career. But Clutterbuck teamed with center Casey Cizikas and left wing Matt Martin to form the heartbeat of numerous Islanders squads. Ironically, Lamoriello, in his first trade with the Islanders, sent McAdam to the Maple Leafs on July 3, 2018, to reacquire Martin after his two seasons in Toronto.

5. Deals to draft Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier, June 26, 2015

Snow provided a master-class in draft-day deals as he entered with no first-round picks but sent disappointing former first-rounder Griffin Reinhart, a defenseman, to the Oilers for the 16th and 33rd picks. He took center Mathew Barzal, who went on to win the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year in 2018, and packaged the 33rd and 72nd picks to the Lightning for pick No. 28, used on solid two-way forward and Barzal BFF Anthony Beauvillier.

4. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk deals, Oct. 4, 2014

Snow swiftly made over the Islanders’ defense corps for the next six seasons in acquiring two Stanley Cup winners. Nick Leddy came from Chicago along with goalie Kent Simpson for goalie Anders Nilsson and defensemen T.J. Brennan and Ville Pokka while Johnny Boychuk was acquired from the Bruins for a 2015 second-round pick — defenseman Brandon Carlo was taken at No. 37 — and a 2016 second-round pick that turned into defenseman Ryan Lindgren at No. 44.

3. Bringing in Brock Nelson, June 25, 2010

Snow sent pick No. 35 and No. 58 in the 2010 draft for the 30th pick, which he used on center Brock Nelson, who played 12 seasons for the Islanders and left sixth on the team’s all-time list in games (901) and goals (295) and eighth in points (574). Chicago took forward Ludvig Rensfeldt, who never played in North America, and the aforementioned Simpson, who played one NHL game in net.

2. The trade that led to Pat LaFontaine, Oct. 1, 1981

A future Hall of Famer: Hall of Fame GM Bill Torrey had the foresight to send useful parts in forward Dave Cameron and defenseman Bob Lorimer to the perpetually struggling Colorado Rockies (who became the New Jersey Devils the next season) for a first-round pick in 1983. That yielded the Islanders' future Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine at No. 3. Brilliant.

1. Bob Bourne, Sept. 10, 1974

Speaking of brilliant, Torrey sent the expansion Kansas City Scouts (who would become the Colorado Rockies after two seasons) defenseman Bart Crashley, who had been playing in the rival WHA, and the rights to defenseman Larry Hornung, who never returned to the NHL from the WHA, for Bob Bourne. The slick-skating forward became a key member of four Stanley Cup winners from 1980-83 and finished his 12 seasons with the Islanders 10th in team history in games (814) and goals (238).

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.