First Round Picks: No. 1
1999-2000 Record: 24-49-9 (1), 58 points (26th overall)
What they need
Just about everything. The offense was ranked 27th (2.37 goals/gm.), the defense was 26th (3.31 team GAA) and the Isles were also in the bottom 10 in power play percentage (23rd) and penalty killing percentage (25th).
In their system
The future was now in Uniondale during the 1999-2000 season. Goaltender
Roberto Luongo (4th overall in '97), played in 24 games for the Isles, going 7-14-1 with a 3.25 GAA and a respectable .904 save percentage. Center Tim Connolly (5th overall in '99) made the jump from major junior to the NHL and tallied 14 goals and 34 points in 81 games, good for third in team scoring,
Another '99 draftee who showed promise was left wing Taylor Pyatt (8th overall), who had 40 goals
and 89 points, as well as a +47 rating, at Sudbury (OHL). On the blueline, Branislav Mezei (10th
overall in '99) had 28 points and 99 penalty minutes in 58 games at Belleville, but Eric Brewer (5th
overall in '97) had his 1999-2000 season limited by injuries and spent just 26 games in the Islander lineup (0-2-2, -11).
Recent draft history
The potential emergence of Connolly and Luongo are a possible sign of changing fortunes in terms of Islander drafts. Of the eight players the Isles chose in the first round that
played in the NHL prior to 1999, two were out of the league (Scott Scissons & Brett Lindros), while four toiled for other clubs (Scott Lachance (MTL), Darius Kasparaitis (PIT), Todd Bertuzzi (VAN) and Wade Redden (OTT). (Jean-Pierre Dumont (3rd overall) in '96, began the season with CHI but was
sent to the minors after being dealt to BUF.)
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FIRST-ROUND SELECTIONS (LAST FIVE YEARS)
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| YEAR |
PICK |
PLAYER |
POS. |
'99 TEAM |
'99 G-A-Pts |
| 1999 |
5 |
Tim Connolly |
C |
Islanders (NHL) |
14-20-34 |
| 1999 |
8 |
Taylor Pyatt |
LW |
Sudbury (OHL) |
40-49-89 |
| 1999 |
10 |
Branislav Mezei |
D |
Belleville (OHL) |
28 pts, 99 PIM |
| 1998 |
9 |
Michael Rupp |
LW |
Erie (OHL) |
22-25-47 |
| 1997 |
4
5 |
Roberto Luongo
Eric Brewer |
G
D |
Islanders (NHL)
Islanders (NHL) |
7-14-1, 3.25
0-2-2 |
| 1996 |
3 |
Jean-Pierre Dumont |
RW |
Chicago (NHL) |
10-8-18 |
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ALSO SEE
Islanders' first-round history
Team needs: New Jersey Devils
Team needs: New York Rangers
Team needs: Philadelphia Flyers
Team needs: Pittsburgh Penguins
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