Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Isbister ya buga wasan NHL na farko a ranar 1 ga Oktoba, 1997, don Phoenix Coyotes (tsohon Winnipeg Jets) da Chicago Blackhawks. Matsayinsa na farko na NHL shine taimako, a cikin nasarar 3<unk>2 Phoenix a kan Colorado Avalanche a ranar 11 ga Oktoba. Ya zira kwallaye na farko na NHL kwanaki goma bayan haka a ranar 21 ga Oktoba, a cikin rashin nasara 4 zuwa 3 ga Mighty Ducks na Anaheim. Isbister ya kammala kakar wasansa na farko tare da maki 17 a wasanni 66. Bayan kakar wasa ta biyu tare da Coyotes, an yi musayar Isbister zuwa New York Islanders a ranar 20 ga Maris, 1999, tare da zabin zagaye na uku (Brian Collins) a cikin
1999 ga Robert Reichel, zaɓaɓɓen zagaye na uku (Jason Jaspers) a 1999 da zaɓaɓɓen zagaye na huɗu (wanda aka samo daga Ottawa; Phoenix ya zaɓi Preston Mizzi) a 1999.