Tommy Salo was drafted 118th overall in the 1993 Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. He made his NHL debut on April 11, 1995 against the Lightning and recorded his first win one week later against the Nordiques. After going 1-5-0 in six games in that 1994-95 season, Tommy went 1-7-1 in ten games in 1995-96. In 1996-97, Tommy joined the Islanders full-time and posted 20 wins and a 2.82 goals-against average with five shutouts. In 1997-98, he won 23 games and posted a 2.64 GAA with four shutouts.
In 1998-99, Tommy went 17-26-7 with a 2.62 GAA and five shutouts before he was traded on March 20 to the Edmonton Oilers for Mats Lindgren and an eighth-round draft pick. Down the stretch, Tommy went 8-2-2 with a 2.31 GAA. In 1999-2000, Tommy won 27 games and posted a 2.33 GAA with two shutouts. He participated in his first mid-season All-Star Game and won the Oilers' Molson Cup and Zane Feldman Trophy (team MVP). In 2000-01, Tommy posted a 36-25-12 record with a 2.46 GAA as the Oilers finished the season with their highest win total (39) since their last Stanley Cup eleven years earlier. Tommy won NHL Player of the Week honours twice after each time posting a pair of shutouts in a single week: once on November 20 and again on March 12.
On October 6, 2001, the night the Oilers retired Jari Kurri's sweater number 17, Tommy made 14 saves to earn the win in a 6-2 victory over the Coyotes.
