The Islanders have previously picked No. 1 four times, with John Tavares the most recent in 2009. The last time they took a defenseman atop the draft was 1973, and Denis Potvin helped them win the Stanley Cup four times in a row from 1980-83 on the way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky is as energetic as he is honest about the importance of Friday night and the lasting impact this one moment could have on the franchise. "The future is now for the New York Islanders,

LOS ANGELES – Mathieu Darche had nothing to do with the Islanders winning the NHL Draft Lottery despite just a 3.5% chance to do so, as that happened almost three weeks before he was hired as general manager/executive vice president on May 23.