General Manager Bill Torrey had wisely plucked him in the second round of the 1991 Entry Draft -- 26th overall. Quebec had drafted Eric Lindros first and Bow Tie Bill nabbed defenseman Scott Lachance with the fourth-overall pick.
At the time, Palffy was an afterthought. He had impressed in his native Slovakia and against European competition but few paid him much mind on the Western side of the Atlantic.
After emigrating to North America in the fall of 1993, Palffy spent most of the season in the International League with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles. He averaged a point per game with 57 points (25G 32A) in 57 games, impressing Torrey.
"We decided to give him a look-see," the GM said at the time. "It was apparent with his 83 penalty minutes that Ziggy could play it tough as well as skilled."
Apart from his missed penalty shot against Florida, Palffy went 0-for-5 in NHL games and was returned to Denver in 1995-96 for more seasoning. After 33 more minor league auditions, the Slovakian Sensation was promoted to stay.
Morrow: "It wasn't just the skill that we liked. Ziggy had no problems sticking his nose into the dirty areas. He was a star-in-the-making."
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Bill Torrey's Origin Story
The Heals and Flats Show
1993 Run Ends in Montreal
Unusual Draft of 1979
Isles Upset Pens in 1993
Prelude to Penguins Upset
Isles Beat Caps in 1993
1992-93 A Season to Remember
Maven's Haven
Hockey historian Andrew Podnieks, writing in his definitive book, "Players, The Ultimate A-Z Guide," lauded Torrey for picking Palffy in the second round.
"Palffy made an enormous impact with the Islanders," wrote Podnieks, "and never let up."
But his debut at the Islanders 1992 training camp proved a flop both literally and figuratively. New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was an Islander at the time and witnessed Ziggy's fatal failure to zag.
Fitzgerald: "We (Islanders) had a big, tough defenseman, Dean Chynoweth, who ran over Palffy in a scrimmage. I mean crushed him. The next day Ziggy didn't show up for practice.
"After that I didn't think he'd amount to much. I never dreamed he'd be the player he eventually became. It took time but eventually he turned into a darned good player; a very quiet great player."
Time was on Ziggy's side. The Isles knew he wasn't ready and some minor league experience would work in his favor. Veteran tv insider Chris Riley, who for years handled Islanders games in various gigs, had studied Palffy's rise.
"His skating became his forte" says Riley. "Ziggy's speed had him always moving and it enabled him to find openings that other forwards could not find.
"He also learned to play tough hockey. The minor league basic training led to his return to the Island. After that, he became a fixture."
For three straight seasons Ziggy would reach or surpass the 40-goal plateau.
Podnieks: "He became one of the top and most consistent scorers in the National Hockey League."
That didn't always please Mike Milbury who became General Manager in 1996. The GM and the young star occasionally fenced in their relationship especially when it came to contract negotiations.
At least once, Mike ridiculed Palffy's agent, Paul Kraus, and put a coda on their discussions with this squelch: "We hope that Ziggy will come to his senses. We have no hope that Paul Kraus will."
Despite Ziggy's consistent production, Milbury kept his needle handy. "If he (Palffy) wants to be paid like a star he'd better start producing like one."
To which the sniper shot back: "What does he think? Every day is Christmas?"
Actually, Mike speaks fondly of Ziggy as he looks back at their days together at Nassau. Asked for a Palffy scouting report, the former GM is nothing but laudatory:
"Ziggy was quick on his feet and with his hands," Milbury said. "He had a surprisingly hard and accurate shot. He may have been carefree -- maybe to a fault -- but competitive as hell when the games began."