Revisiting the Islanders & Panthers’ Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen Trade

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Torey acquired Oli Jokinen and Roberto Luongo in a trade that set up an entire era of Panthers hockey, acquiring two tremendous young pieces. He made this deal with the New York Islanders on Jun. 24, 2000, with Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury.

To Florida Panthers

Roberto Luongo

Roberto Luongo was the key piece coming in return as a 21-year-old goalie who was selected 4^th overall in the 1997 draft by the Islanders. From the time he joined the club until he moved on for the first time, Luongo appeared in 317 games, 304 of which were starts, and had 108 wins, 154 losses, 41 ties, and overtime losses from the 2000-01 campaign through the 2005-06 campaign.

In that window, he also finished with a Save percentage of .920 and a GAA of 2.68, not to mention 26 shutouts. He also contributed 7 assists on the offensive end during this run in South Florida and even added 12 Penalty Minutes as well. 

He finished ninth in Calder Trophy voting in his first season wearing the Panthers sweater. He also finished third in Vezina Trophy voting in the 2003-04 campaign and was seventh in Vezina Trophy voting in the 2005-06 season. In the 2003-04 season, he also finished sixth in Hart Trophy voting. 

He made an everlasting mark and impact on Florida Panthers hockey with his first stint as a player, his second go-around as a player, and, lastly, the impact he’s made now back as a member of the front office. 

In his relatively short stint with the Islanders, the organization which drafted him and played him for 24 games in his rookie season, Roberto Luongo had a very unremarkable tenure with the Islanders. He played in 24 games and had 20 starts with a record of seven wins, 14 losses, and one tie. He finished with a .904 SV% and a 3.25 GAA. 

Olli Jokinen

The third overall selection in 1997 by the Los Angeles Kings before ultimately being dealt to the Islanders, where Olli Jokinen spent a full season and then moved over to the Panthers in the deal being currently investigated.

With the Panthers, he appeared in 567 games and totalled 188 goals and 231 assists for 418 points. He finished with a -58 rating and 597 Penalty Minutes across his seven seasons of service with the organization. Across his run with the Panthers, he averaged 19:34 of time on ice per game. 

Across his time in South Florida, he appeared in one All-Star Game in 2002-03 and was eighth amongst Center voting for the All-Star Game in 2006-07. In the 2007-08 season, he also finished 83^rd in Lady Byng voting. 

He became a crucial part of this era of Panthers hockey and was one of the forwards who defined the 2000s for the organization. His acquisition alongside Luongo was vital in setting the course for the franchise. His name is scattered across the franchise record books for his offensive productivity and is at the top of the list amongst his era and position. 

While with the Islanders, he played one full season of 82 games. Throughout that run, he had 11 goals and 10 assists for a total of 21 points. He finished with 44 Penalty Minutes and zero on the plus-minus category. 

To New York Islanders

Mark Parrish

The first piece moving along from South Florida over to Long Island was Mark Parrish. Before moving on to the Islanders to acquire the aforementioned pieces, he played in 154 games with the club. In those games, he tallied 50 goals and 31 assists for a total of 81 points. He also finished as a -5 and ended his run in Florida with 64 PIMs. 

In his time in South Florida, he finished 4^th in the Calder Trophy race in the 1998-99 season. He finished with two seasons of 20 or more goals with the Panthers. He averaged 14:01 of Time on Ice in his time with the club. 

After moving on from the Panthers across parts of 5 seasons, Parrish contributed in a real and impactful way for his new team. He played in 345 games and contributed 118 goals to go along with 96 assists for a total of 214 points. He also finished as a -34 and had 122 Penalty Minutes. He additionally was a one-time All-Star Game participant while sporting the Islanders uniform. 

Oleg Kvasha

The second piece heading back to Long Island alongside Parrish was Oleg Kvasha. He left an imprint on the Islanders franchise for his years of service and individual effort. While with the Islanders, he appeared in 332 games and contributed 60 goals and 96 assists for a total of 156 points. He finished with a -13 and 250 PIMs, not to mention 15:02 minutes on ice per game. He had a lengthy tenure with the Islanders and added tenacity and physical presence. 

In his time with the Panthers, he appeared with the club for two seasons. In that time, he played in 146 games and had 17 goals to go along with 33 assists for a total of 50 points. During his stint with the Panthers, he finished with a +8 rating and 79 Penalty Minutes. He also averaged 12:04 of time on ice per game. He made an impact on both stops across his run in the NHL. However, his greatest impact on the Panthers was helping to land two of the organization’s most impactful players

The trade for Luongo and Jokinen represented the dawn of a new age of Panthers hockey and will be most remembered for getting the Panthers the Hall of Fame goalie. The two general managers (GMs) made a trade on draft day of 2000 that set the course for these franchises and had ramifications for years to come.