NY Islanders GM Mathieu Darche's flexible and focused approach has franchise rolling

New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche didn’t arrive on Long Island with a scorched-earth blueprint. Instead, the Islanders’ first-year general manager came in intent on learning — and letting the team reveal itself before forcing change.

“When you come in… you study the team, but until you’re there, there’s so many things that you find out,” Darche said on the DFO Rundown Insider Edition. “So I figured the first year… let’s see what we have.”

Darche believed last season’s Islanders were better than their record suggested. “I didn’t think that team was a bottom dweller last year,” he said, pointing to injuries and timing. With centers like Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau already in place, Darche felt the core was competitive. “I felt like we needed some tweaks and a few culture adjustments maybe,” he said.

That evaluation shaped his first major decision: moving Noah Dobson at the draft. Darche stressed there was no bitterness. “People always think when you trade a player like that there’s animosity,” he said. “There was never any animosity… we just didn’t see the same thing on a contract.” Darche embraced the idea of a true win-win. “It’s okay if it’s a win-win,” he said. “I’m sure Montreal is very happy with Noah. I’m happy with what I got.”

What Darche didn’t anticipate was how quickly rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer would change the equation. “Did we think Schaefer would be that good that early? Probably not, if I’m being honest,” Darche admitted. The original plan was cautious. “I spent the summer telling his agent, ‘Let’s be open-minded… let’s start with the nine games.’”

That plan barely lasted a week. “By Game 3, my coaches started playing him 26 minutes a game,” Darche said with a laugh. “After his seventh game, I didn’t wait for nine. I said, ‘Yeah, he’s not going back.’”

Darche credited head coach Patrick Roy for that boldness. “Patrick wants to win,” Darche said. “He doesn’t care if you’re young or old. Whoever is going to help us win is going to play.” Roy’s willingness to let young players learn through mistakes has accelerated development across the roster. “That’s how you learn,” Darche said. “Veteran players make mistakes too.”

The Islanders’ on-ice identity has shifted as a result. “I think from the start… we’re a lot more up-tempo,” Darche said. “We brought in players that skate a bit more… and you add the skating of Matthew Schaefer. I think we’re a pretty fast team.”

Off the ice, Darche has pushed equally hard. “At the end of the day, we’re in the entertainment business,” he said. With endless competition for attention in New York, visibility matters. “You got to promote yourself. We want to bring people in the building.” The payoff has been real: “Last night was actually our seventh consecutive sellout.”

As for the trade deadline, Darche isn’t rushing. “Everybody has a chance right now,” he said of the standings. “You lose two games and you go from first to the wild card.” His approach is measured. “I’m every day trying to improve the team,” he said. “If something makes sense, you do it.”

For Darche, the message is clear: evaluate, adapt, and build — without losing sight of winning now.