Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Komawa Arewacin Amurka, Jokinen ya fara kakar wasa ta 1998-99 tare da ƙungiyar Kings 'American Hockey League (AHL), Springfield Falcons. Ya sami kira zuwa Los Angeles bayan wasanni tara, inda ya ci maki tara. Ya rubuta maki na farko na NHL a ranar 5 ga Nuwamba, 1998, tare da taimakawa a wasan da St. Louis Blues, sannan ya zira kwallaye na farko na NHL bayan kwana biyar da Calgary Flames. An zabi Jokinen a matsayin Rookie na Watan Nuwamba na NHL, inda ya ci maki takwas a wasanni 11. Ya gama kakar wasa da maki 21 a wasanni 66 da aka buga. Bayan kammala kakar wasa, a ranar 20 ga Yuni, 1999, an yi musayar Jokinen zuwa New York Islanders, tare da Josh Green, Mathieu Biron da kuma zabin zagaye na farko a wannan shekarar.
, a musayar Žigmund Pálffy, Bryan Smolinski, Marcel Cousineau da kuma zabin zagaye na huɗu. An yi la'akari da Jokinen a matsayin babban ɓangare na yarjejeniyar daga ra'ayi na New York, yayin da suka ba da babban dan wasan su a Pálffy.