Mathieu Darche explains why tearing down the NY Islanders was never an option

When Mathieu Darche took over as general manager of the New York Islanders in May, many wondered if his arrival would mark the beginning of a major rebuild. But in his first conversations with the players, Darche made his stance crystal clear: there would be no teardown on Long Island.

“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,’” Darche said in The Athletic. His conviction comes from a belief that last season’s struggles were more circumstantial than structural.

The Islanders were ravaged by injuries in 2024-25, particularly on the blue line, where long-term absences left the defense corps patchwork at times. Just as damaging were the team’s historically poor special teams. The power play and penalty kill both ranked near the bottom of the NHL, undoing stretches of strong five-on-five play and costing the Isles valuable points in the standings.

Darche believes those issues are correctable and not indicative of a flawed roster. He sees a veteran group — anchored by Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Ilya Sorokin — capable of making the playoffs this season. The addition of first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, plus free-agent signings like Jonathan Drouin, gives the team a mix of star power and fresh energy.

Rather than strip the team down and build from scratch, Darche is embracing a retool-on-the-fly approach. “This team had a lot of injuries, and the special teams really struggled, but I think this team can make the playoffs,” he said.

For fans, the message is refreshing: the Islanders’ new GM believes the current roster deserves the chance to prove it can compete. The teardown talk can wait - Darche is betting on redemption.