NY Islanders GM Mathieu Darche talks Schaefer, punctuality and accountability

Appearing on NHL Network, New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche gave a candid look at the state of his team — praising Matthew Schaefer’s rapid emergence, Mathew Barzal's discipline, Ilya Sorokin’s recent turnaround, and reaffirming the organization’s culture of accountability under his and Patrick Roy’s leadership.

Darche said that even with lofty expectations, Schaefer has exceeded them. “He’s 10 days from being in next year’s draft and it’s how well he’s defending that’s been the most impressive,” Darche said. “He’s an elite skater… and an outstanding teammate. The players love him. Half the team offered to take him in.”

On the other end of the ice, Darche addressed the club’s early-season goaltending shakeup, including the decision to part ways with the previous goalie coach and promote Sergey Naumov from Bridgeport. “We felt it was the right time for a change,” Darche said. “Sergey has worked closely with Patrick and understands how we want to structure our goaltending. Communication and confidence are key, and he’s brought both.”

The move appears to have steadied Ilya Sorokin, who posted his best performance of the year in a 3-1 win at Washington. “His last game was by far his best — he got us the two points in Washington,” Darche said. “If it wasn’t for Ilya, we might have been down 2-3 nothing after the first. I’m not worried — he’s a great goaltender and he’s finding his rhythm.”

Darche also stood firm on his decision to bench Mathew Barzal for tardiness. “Punctuality is non-negotiable,” he said. “There’s no one who felt worse than Matt. It wasn’t intentional, but accountability can’t only exist when it’s convenient.”

As the Islanders climb back and over to .500, Darche’s message was clear: “We’re building the right way — with structure, accountability, and players who make each other better.”