Mathieu Darche might have hired his replacement this summer

The New York Islanders hired one of the most coveted front office executives in the NHL. The Isles landed Evan Gold as an assistant GM under Mathieu Darche, while becoming the Hamilton Hammers GM.

Gold was in demand this summer, with the Toronto Maple Leafs seriously considering him as their next GM. The Vancouver Canucks had also spoken to Gold, while his name was a part of other front-office searches around the league.

So, why Long Island? Beyond the pride that comes with being part of the Islanders organization, why the Isles?

The reason is simple: It could very well be that Darche just hired his eventual replacement. No, we’re not talking about the Islanders firing Darche. The move is likely part of a succession plan that the team has in mind.

Darche currently holds the GM and Vice-President of Hockey Operations role. As such, he doesn’t have a typical President of Hockey Operations (POHO) above him. That role has remained vacant since the Islanders moved on from Lou Lamoriello.

That’s why it’s reasonable to assume that at some point, Darche could move up into the POHO role with Gold eventually taking over as the full-time GM.

It’s an interesting possibility, and likely something the organization has been building up to.

Gold will be among next in line to become NHL GM

Gold is among a short list of assistant GMs on track to take over full-time roles. As such, Gold’s decision to join the Islanders likely had to do with a clear career path ahead of him. That’s something that other teams might not have offered the former Bruins’ exec.

Think about a market like Toronto. The pressure to perform could have placed Gold in a tough spot. If he didn’t produce results right away, Gold could have found himself on the outside looking in. If that were the case, the rising star could have prematurely killed his chances at a full-time role.

That won’t be the case in Long Island. The Islanders are hardly a cutthroat organization looking for quick fixes and instant turnarounds. The plan could be something more akin to what the St. Louis Blues did. The team hired Alex Steen as an assistant GM, mentored him under Doug Armstrong, and eventually promoted him to the GM role with Armstrong moving up the ladder.

That could well be what Islanders fans see happening in the next two to three years. It’s still too early to tell, but something worth keeping an eye on.

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