2009 – 10 New York Islanders season The 2009 - 10 New York Islanders season is the 37th season for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League . Following the trade of Bill Guerin during the 2008 – 09 season , the Islanders named center Doug Weight the team ' s new captain . Kyle Okposo , Richard Park , Mark Streit , and Brendan Witt serve as the teams assistant captains . The year opened with the 2009 NHL Entry Draft on June 26 – 27 , with the Islanders using their 1st selection in the draft to take in John Tavares . Preseason . Before the regular season began , the New York Islanders played a series of exhibition games . Only one game was held at Nassau Coliseum , in which the Islanders lost to the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2 - 4 . Their first exhibition game was held on September 14 , when the Islanders were defeated by the Vancouver Canucks , 2 - 1 . The Islanders played two games at the place they held their training camp , the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon , Saskatchewan . They won the two games held there , defeating the Flames on the 19th , and the Oilers on the 20th . As previously expected , the Islanders played one game in the new Sprint Center in Kansas City against the Los Angeles Kings , in which the Islanders lost 2 - 4 . The team ' s final exhibition game was on September 29 against the Devils at the Prudential Center in New Jersey , where they again lost 2 - 4 . Regular season . On July 15 , 2009 , the Islanders released their regular season schedule , in which the Islanders play a regular amount of 82 games , 41 home and 41 away . The team ' s first game was against the defending Stanley Cup champions , the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 3 , 2009 at Nassau Coliseum , in which the Islanders lost in a shootout , 4 - 3 . Player stats . Skaters . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; + / − = Plus / Minus ; PIM = Penalty Minutes " Goaltenders . " Note : GP = Games Played ; TOI = Time On Ice ( minutes ) ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; OT = Overtime Losses ; GA = Goals Against ; GAA = Goals Against Average ; SA = Shots Against ; SV = Saves ; Sv % = Save Percentage ; SO = Shutouts " Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Islanders . Stats reflect time with Islanders only . Traded mid - season . Stats reflect time with Islanders only . Transactions . Before the 2009 – 10 season got underway , the Islanders were involved in many transactions , and signed and lost some free agents . Their first trade for the season was made at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft , where the New York Islanders sent four draft picks to the Columbus Blue Jackets , in exchange for two draft picks ( including a first round pick that allowed them move up ten spots from a previously acquired pick ) . The team would make another trade with the Blue Jackets later on in the draft . The Islanders also made a trade with the Minnesota Wild , which allowed them to move up four additional spots [ to pick # 12 ] from the position they were in after their original trade with Columbus . They wound up using the pick to draft Calvin de Haan from the Ontario Hockey League . In the third round , the Islanders traded a third round pick in the 2010 draft for pick # 62 in the current draft . On June 30 , 2009 , the Islanders traded Ben Walter and a conditional pick in the 2010 draft to the New Jersey Devils for Tony Romano . The Islanders signed many free agents as well , including veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson on July 1 . The following day , the Islanders signed three other players , those being Scott Munroe , Brett Westgarth , and Jeremy Reich . On July 6 , the Islanders acquired four minor - league players , and lost two of their own ( Chris Lee and Peter Mannino ) . Yann Danis and Joe Callahan both left the Islanders as well on July 10 and 16 , respectively . The Islanders ' most recently acquired is goaltender , Martin Biron , who played last season for the Philadelphia Flyers . The Islanders also signed their # 1 draft pick from 2009 , John Tavares to a three – year entry – level contract on July 15 , and resigned Nate Thompson to a one – year two – way contract on July 25 . Draft picks . The Islanders held the 1st pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft , to be held in Montreal . On April 14 , 2009 , it was announced that the Islanders had won the 2009 NHL Draft Lottery and earned the 1st draft pick for the fourth time in the franchise ' s history . Going into the lottery , the Islanders held a 48 . 2 % chance of winning the lottery , due to their coming in last place in the 2008 – 09 NHL season . In addition to the first pick , the Islanders hold the 26th draft pick during the first round , acquiring it from the San Jose Sharks , and three second – round draft picks . Matt Duchene , Victor Hedman , Evander Kane , Brayden Schenn , and John Tavares are the favorites to be drafted by the first five teams . Garth Snow mentioned in an article on the New York Islanders ' official website , that the Islanders ' management have scouted each of these players for years . Since the announcement about the Islanders picking first in the draft , their ticket sales department has seen a 300 - percent increase in phone calls and email inquiries over last year at this time . During the draft , the Islanders selected center John Tavares as their first pick and also the first pick overall in the draft . After selecting Tavares , the Islanders made a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that sent the Islanders ' picks 26 , 37 , 62 , and 92 ( in 2009 ) to the Blue Jackets in exchange for picks 16 and 77 ( in 2009 ) . With this trade , the Islanders had moved up from pick 26 , to pick 16 in the first round of the 2009 draft . Following this , the Islanders made another trade , this time with the Minnesota Wild . The Islanders gave Minnesota picks 16 , 77 , and 182 ( in 2009 ) in exchange for pick 12 from Minnesota ( in 2009 ) . At this point , the Islanders had moved up from pick 26 , to pick 12 . With the 12th pick , the Islanders selected Calvin de Haan , a defenceman from the Ontario Hockey League . Farm teams . Bridgeport Sound Tigers . The Islanders ' American Hockey League affiliate will remain to be the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the 2009 – 10 season . Utah Grizzlies . The Utah Grizzlies remain New York ' s ECHL affiliate for the 2009 – 10 season . Odessa Jackalopes . The Odessa Jackalopes remain New York ' s Central Hockey League affiliate for the 2009 – 10 season .