Mathieu Darche doesn't expect to trade Islanders' No. 1 overall pick

New York Post

5 days ago

Mathieu Darche didn't leave much open to interpretation.
If someone wants to blow him away with an offer, he'll listen.
The plan, though, is to make the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft a month from now.
'Not often you get a job and the first thing you have to do is pick the best player in the draft,' Darche said Thursday at his introductory press conference as Islanders general manager. 'Listen, I expect us to make the pick at the end of next month.
'You have to do your due diligence. Anybody that calls, you have to listen, but someone would really have to knock my socks off to trade that pick, 'cause we're gonna get a special player. I'm gonna do my due diligence, but I expect us to be picking at the end of June.'
4 Islanders' new GM Mathieu Darche addresses reporters during a press conference on May 29, 2025.
Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Defenseman Matthew Schaefer and center Michael Misa, both from the Toronto area, are considered the top two players available by most draft experts, with Schaefer generally ahead.
Long Island native James Hagens, a center, could also be considered, and it would be a marketing bonanza if the Islanders took the 18-year-old from Boston College who grew up a diehard fan of the club.
4 Michael Misa skates during a game Feb. 14.
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4 Matthew Schaefer skates during a Nov. 15 game.
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Darche added that the Lightning — his old employer — didn't put any restrictions on his ability to be part of the draft process with the Islanders.
'When this process started, they locked me out pretty quick,' he joked.
4 James Hagens could be an option for the Islanders to select No. 1 overall in the NHL draft.
Getty Images
Darche said the injury sustained by Bo Horvat at World Championships isn't a long-term concern.
'He's got an ankle injury, nothing serious,' Darche said. 'Four to six weeks, he's already rehabbing. … There's no concerns whatsoever.'
Darche has reached out to 'most of the agents' representing the Islanders' pending free agents, he said, as well as speaking to all but one or two of the players on the roster, free agents and otherwise.
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No decision has been made as yet about whether the Islanders will retain assistant GMs Steve Pellegrini and Chris Lamoriello.
Pellegrini was in attendance at Thursday's press conference.
Darche said his focus is first on the draft, replacing the coaching staff at Bridgeport and filling out assistant coaching spots on the NHL staff, with Tommy Albelin and John MacLean having been let go.
'A lot of teams are looking for coaches at this time of year, so you don't want to be too late on that,' Darche said. 'But the whole structure of how we work with development in the AHL will be enhanced.'