If you want to understand what the No. 1 overall pick on Friday means to the Islanders, there’s no better way than to look at the four times they’ve previously held the top pick.

The impact of all four decisions ended up having dramatic ramifications for years on end, from the best possible outcomes to something approaching the worst.

So, there’s no better way to get primed for Friday, when Matthew Schaefer is the favorite to go to the Island after a miracle lottery win, than to look back.

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