What to expect from Mathieu Darche as Islanders GM

The New York Islanders began to usher in a new era last week when they unveiled Mathieu Darche as their new general manager, taking over for Lou Lamoriello.

Darche, 48, comes to the Islanders after spending the last three seasons as an assistant GM with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a role he took on after winning the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cups in a previous three-year spell as the Lightning’s director of hockey operations. 

While the Islanders could have their sights set on the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025-26, Darche’s priority will be bringing the team back into contention. 

On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton dove into what to expect from Darche as he begins his time as the Islanders’ GM. 

Yaremchuk: I do wonder a little bit if hiring Mathieu Darche, a younger, considered more up-and-coming GM, is maybe a sign that ownership there is saying, “You can build this properly. You don’t need to be back in the playoffs next year or even the year after.”

Hutton: I think he’s getting that leash and getting a chance to build what he wants to build and find some pieces.

I look at this team; I honestly feel like they should have moved on from a few guys last year at the Trade Deadline. Look at Kyle Palmieri or even Anders Lee, there was some value there where you could have moved these players and gotten some more pieces to start building. 

On the plus side, Brock Nelson got moved out, they got Calum Ritchie, who is a sure thing and will help this team, and you have a goalie to build around. There’s some good core. There’s some structure.

What I really look forward to for the New York Islanders team now is a chance to brand some players and get to know this team better. For so many years, it’s been so vanilla because of Lou Lamoriello. 

For many of us hockey fans, we get our teams and our knowledge through social media, where we actually get to meet players and get their personalities. I feel like that’s been a bit of a stranglehold on the New York Islanders and their fan base and where they’re at. 

I remember playing at Nassau Coliseum early in my NHL career. The environment there and the energy of this fanbase are so fun, and it’s such a great place to be. These are passionate fans who deserve to have a team that can get pushed over the top. 

When I look at the Islanders, even if they were to get in right now, they’re just going to the middle ground and be gone. They need to start building, and I hope this is where the plan for the future grows for the New York Islanders.

You can catch the rest of the Islanders discussion and Monday’s episode here…