Islanders GM reveals reason behind Dobson blockbuster

NY Islanders GM Mathieu Darche didn’t just get his feet wet when he took over at the end of last season. He jumped straight into the deep end. He was tasked with retooling a talented but underachieving club.

Amid talk of a full-on rebuild, Darche managed to transform a unique set of circumstances into a restocked prospect cupboard and a potentially revamped lineup that could return the club to the postseason.

But there was one deal that shook the core of the Islanders' fanbase. It was the Noah Dobson trade at the 2025 NHL Draft.

Speculation had been rampant about the Isles and Dobson agreeing to terms on a new deal. Dobson was on the path to becoming a UFA and could have left Long Island without as much as a “how do you do.”

In what seemed like somewhat of a hopeless situation, Darche managed to pull an elephant out of his hat. He flipped Dobson, an RFA, for two first-round picks and a solid depth piece in Emil Heineman.

But questions emerged as to why the Darche pulled the trigger on the deal. According to a September 6 piece in The Athletic, insider Pierre LeBrun spoke with Darche during the GM-Coaches meetings in Detroit. During that conversation, Darche revealed the reason behind the Dobson blockbuster:

“People always think when you trade a player because you can’t sign him to a contract, it’s acrimonious, but there was never any animosity.”

Darche added:

“I had a value that I thought was my threshold, the agent saw something else, and then instead of arguing, it was like, ‘If you think you can get that deal somewhere else, let’s work together to make that happen.’ I wanted to keep the player, but at the end of the day, we couldn’t agree to a contract. That’s business. But there was never any argument. Both sides agreed to make the best of it.”

In short, the Islanders weren’t willing to pay as much as the Canadiens. Perhaps the Habs saw something more than the Islanders didn’t. As such, the Habs were prepared to back up the Brinks truck for Dobson.

Whether that was a wise decision, only time will tell. For now, Darche applied a key lesson he learned from his mentor, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois:

“That’s something I learned from Julien: take the emotion out of the decision.’’

There didn’t appear to be many emotions involved in the decision. Darche made a business call, one that could have a lasting impact on the Islanders' organization.

Mathieu Darche not interested in a full rebuild

Another interesting point Darche brought up in his conversation with LeBrun was his lack of interest in a full rebuild. He made it crystal clear to the squad that was not the direction the team was headed.

Darche stated:

“In the first week after I got the job, I spoke with every player on the team and I told them, ‘I’m not tearing it down. Because this team last year had a lot of injuries, the special teams really struggled, but I think this team can make the playoffs.'”

Indeed, the Isles had a freak season in which injuries piled up constantly. It seemed as though every player took turns hitting the shelf at one point or another.

Assuming that last season’s injury-filled slogfest was an aberration, this season, a healthy lineup could challenge for a playoff spot in the Metro Division. With some teams potentially regressing, the Islanders could land in the postseason.

Darche concluded his thoughts by declaring that the Washington Capitals’ retool on the fly is something he’s aiming for. With the offseason moves, renewed prospect pipeline, and hopefully a fully healthy lineup, the Isles could become this season’s version of the 2024-25 Capitals.