Top 20 Players Who Suited Up For Both Islanders, Rangers
By Daniel Friedman
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As the Islanders and Rangers get set to renew their rivalry, we take a look at some of the best to play on both sides of the battlefield.
20. Brad Isbister
He scored 67 goals in four seasons with the Islanders. Toward the end of his career, he dressed for the Rangers in 19 games during the 2006-07 campaign.
19. Jamie McLennan
McLennan was drafted by the Isles in 1991 and played parts of three seasons with the team. He was a Ranger in 2003-04, but appeared in just four games.
18. Kevin Weekes
The last player not named Henrik Lundqvist to be the Rangers' starting goaltender heading into a regular season, Weekes was one of the more personable athletes to play on Broadway and in Uniondale.
17. Martin Biron
Biron was the ultimate professional and a very reliable backup goaltender for at least one of the New York teams.
16. Tom Poti
Poti helped the Isles make the playoffs in 2006-07. At his best, he recorded 48 points for the Rangers (2002-03) and 44 for the Islanders (2006-07).
15. Bryan Berard
Another Islander who was traded too soon, Berard was the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 1997. He joined the Rangers in 2001-02 and came back to the Isles for one more go at it in 2007-08.
14. Sergei Nemchinov
He racked up 58, 54 and 49 points during his first three NHL seasons, respectively. Unfortunately, those numbers continued to drop, and his two seasons with the Islanders (45 points in 141 games) reflected that.
13. P.A. Parenteau
Parenteau went from Rangers farmhand to John Tavares' winger on Long Island.
12. Bryan McCabe
McCabe was named the Isles' team captain very early on, and was also traded very early on. Conversely, he was dealt to the Rangers at the tail end of his career.
11. Glenn Healy
A hero in 1993 for the Islanders, he went to the Rangers the next season.
10. John Vanbiesbrouck
One of the best American goaltenders ever to play the game, he was ultimately usurped by some other guy named Mike Richter.
9. Mathieu Schneider
One of the more underappreciated defensemen of his era, Schneider posted 56 points in 78 games as an Islander. A few years later, he became a Ranger, though his numbers there weren't as good (64 points in 155 contests).
8. Ray Ferraro
Ferraro was an Islanders playoff hero in 1993 and a consistent, solid player throughout his tenure. He played one season for the Rangers (1995-96) and recorded 54 points.
7. Martin Straka
Acquired by the Islanders midway through the 1995-96 campaign, Straka recorded 12 points in 22 games on Long Island. In three seasons with the Rangers, he racked up 76, 70 and 41 points.
6. Darius Kasparaitis
A physical presence despite his 5-foot-11 stature, Kaspraitis spent five seasons with the Isles and four with the Blueshirts.
5. Vladimir Malakhov
An explosive scoring threat on the blue line, Malakhov posted 52 and 57 points in his first two seasons with the Islanders after breaking into the league. He later became a Ranger, but as a shell of his former self.
4. Doug Weight
A young stud on Broadway, he was traded to Edmonton for Esa Tikkanen. Weight came back to New York toward the end of his career to captain the Islanders, where he's now an assistant coach.
3. Patrick Flatley
A consistent producer and leader for the Islanders, Flatley ended his career as a Ranger in 1996-97. He amassed 479 points in 12 seasons with the Isles.
2. Don Maloney
Maloney is more renowned for his Rangers tenure, but he did play for the Islanders from 1989-91, and later became the team's general manager.
1. Pat LaFontaine
He played eight seasons for the Islanders and just one for the Rangers, but he's the best player ever to play for both teams.
Follow Daniel Friedman on Twitter @bardownhowitzer.
