Sven Butenschon was acquired from the Florida Panthers on October 11, 2002 in exchange for minor league scoring prospect Juraj Kolnik and a 9th round pick in the 2003 draft. GM Mike Milbury made the move one day after the Islanders opened the 2002-03 season with a disappointing 5-1 loss in Buffalo the night before. With the Islanders dressing a solid core of 6 defensemen that included Roman Hamrlik, Kenny Jonsson, Adrian Aucoin, Mattias Timander, Radek Martinek and Eric Cairns, Milbury believed the addition of Butenschon would provide the Islanders with depth as well as another solid defenseman in Bridgeport. Sven provided size on the blue line at 6-4, 215 pounds throughout a few call ups over the course of the season, especially when Martinek was sent down to Bridgeport for two weeks of conditioning in November and Cairns dislocated his shoulder in late January. In all he got into a career high 37 games with the Islanders, 8 more than he saw in 4 seasons in the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1997-01. He was traded to Edmonton in March of 2001 in exchange for former Islander draft pick Dan Lacouture. After a year in Hamilton of the AHL, where he faced Bridgeport in the 2002 Calder Cup playoffs, Sven was signed by the Florida Panthers as a free agent in the summer of 2002. Butenschon went on to have a very good postseason with the Sound Tigers in 2003 as he went 3-6-9 in 9 playoff games as their go to guy on defense playing in all situations.

     After spending the NHL lockout season with the Mannheim Eagles of the DEL, Butenschon signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks in 2005. He spent most the 2005-06 season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and recorded 15 goals and 37 points in 60 games played. He also got into 8 games with the Canucks. Without a contract, Butenschon decided to go back to Mannheim for 2006-07.