Mathieu Darche displays decisiveness with playoffs a realistic goal for NY Islanders

Mathieu Darche said from the outset he was not interested in tearing things down for the sake of it. What the New York Islanders’ general manager has done since has been something far rarer in today’s NHL: act decisively, and act in alignment with his own words.

Late last night, the Islanders acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Ondřej Palát from the New Jersey Devils, sending Max Tsyplakov the other way while also receiving a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth. No salary retained. One year left at $6 million. Is it perfect? No, but it is very manageable and won't be an anchor that precludes this team from getting better next summer.

The move fits squarely within Darche’s vision for the Islanders, a group he never viewed as rebuild material. He saw a playoff-caliber roster that had circumstances turn against it last season, not a foundation that needed to be blown up. Add the rapid emergence of 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer and a Metropolitan Division that has the Isles battling the Penguins, Flyers, Caps for a playoff spot, things changed and expectations followed. Add the rapid emergence of 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer and a Metropolitan Division that has the Isles battling the Penguins, Flyers, and Caps for a playoff spot, and things change,d and expectations followed.

A season without playoff hockey went from tolerable to borderline unacceptable.

The Islanders are not suddenly favorites to win a Stanley Cup. Even with elite goaltending, this roster does not resemble a juggernaut. But Darche understands something that resonates deeply in hockey rooms: belief is built through action, not patience alone. When meaningful games are within reach, the message cannot be neutral.

Adding Palát, and earlier, defenseman Carson Soucy, signals that merely staying afloat was not enough. The players earned support. The fan base earned ambition.

There is risk in pushing forward. There is greater risk in drifting.

Darche is wagering that momentum matters, that confidence compounds, and that competitive games in March and April can change the temperature of a franchise. He is betting that belief is not something you wait for — it’s something you reinforce.