Just one month into his tenure overseeing the New York Islanders organization, General Manager Mathieu Darche acknowledges he hasn`t yet had much opportunity to leave his personal mark on the franchise.
The 48-year-old, in his first role as a general manager, was still working for Tampa Bay in early May when the NHL Draft Lottery results favored the Islanders, propelling them up 10 positions to secure the top overall pick in the draft taking place this Friday in Los Angeles.
“I can`t even claim that was `Darche luck`,” he commented humorously earlier this week.
The significant effort to improve an Islanders team that has missed the playoffs in two of the last four years and hasn`t advanced past the first round since reaching the 2021 semifinals begins immediately. New York is widely anticipated to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
Although Darche isn`t revealing his specific plans for the first pick, it is evident the Islanders have a golden chance to add a young, potentially NHL-ready key player to a roster that finished the regular season just two points shy of a playoff spot after a late-season slump saw them go 3-7-4.
“We will acquire an excellent player who will help move our organization forward, someone who will hopefully play for us for 15 to 20 years,” he stated, in response to a question specifically about Schaefer.
“He`s a remarkable young man,” Darche commented on the two-way defenseman from the Erie Otters, praising his composure and resilience, especially after the challenging loss of his mother to cancer, among other difficulties. “He`s a fantastic player and a great individual. However, we met many other impressive prospects during the draft process.”
Holding the second selection, the San Jose Sharks are set to strengthen their emerging young core, which already includes the 2024 first overall pick, Macklin Celebrini.
“Our fans have endured some challenging seasons,” Sharks GM Mike Grier acknowledged, referring to a team that has finished 29th or lower in four of the last six years since their most recent playoff appearance. “But I believe we are beginning to turn things around.”
Grier did not want to guess who might be selected first overall but highlighted that the Sharks are well-positioned to acquire a significant impact player with the second pick.
Should Schaefer be the first pick, San Jose will have multiple choices for a center, with Michael Misa from OHL Saginaw and Anton Frondell from Sweden being among the potential selections.
Chicago holds the third pick, followed by the Utah team, which, like the Islanders, moved up ten places after the lottery. Nashville picks fifth, followed by Philadelphia. These last two teams could significantly influence the draft with three first-round selections each. The draft`s first round is on Friday, and rounds 2-7 are on Saturday.
“We definitely have considerable assets to pursue various strategies, not strictly moving up or down the draft order, but potentially acquiring assets for future development,” stated Flyers GM Danny Brier.
Tristan Blackwood