Islanders Mailbag: Jordan Kyrou Trade Talk, Mathieu Darche's Direction
Could Jordan Kyrou still be an option for the Islanders? Plus thoughts on Josh Bailey's Islanders' Hall of Fame case, Mathieu Darche's plan, Patrick Roy, Hamilton's roster & more.
With the season in the rearview mirror, Free Friday is shifting into offseason mode—with a weekly New York Islanders mailbag where your questions take center stage.
And don’t get it twisted: just because the games have stopped doesn’t mean things are slowing down here.
From exclusive interviews and insider intel to in-depth columns and behind-the-scenes access, The Elmonters isn’t going anywhere—keeping that Islanders pulse alive all summer long.
First, let’s discuss Jordan Kyrou ahead of our first question.
The 28-year-old, who has five seasons left on his deal worth $8.125 million annually, is a three-time 30-goal scorer and someone whom the Islanders inquired ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
However, I think he’s more than open to a change of scenery, and if the asking price comes down and Darche doesn’t have to part ways with someone he deems a top prospect, I could see talks picking up ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Is it out of the realm of possibilities to think that acquiring Schenn had something to do with, potentially, acquiring Kyrou, given their relationship?
We stay on this subject for our first question:
ROSNER: The simple answer is that general manager Mathieu Darche was unwilling to part with Victor Eklund or Kashawn Aitcheson, as well as any prospects he thought would be ready to turn pro over the next few seasons. It also didn’t sound like Kyrou, who has a full no-trade clause, was interested in moving mid-season. Yes, the 29th overall pick would likely have been involved.
I don’t think this was a situation where Darche said, ‘Well, if I can’t have Kyrou, I’ll have Schenn.’ What I will say is that Kyrou controls his future, and if he wants to be an Islander, not having the 29th pick isn’t the issue. It’s whether the asking price comes down.
ROSNER: I think it’s time that Jiggs McDonald gets into the Islanders’ Hall of Fame. The voice behind the Dynasty Days, it’s been an honor to get to meet the NHL Hall of Famer and also see how he’s stayed connected to the franchise. He usually emcees all the inductions and was the emcee for the grand opening of UBS Arena.
After Jiggs, I think we see Josh Bailey get in there, I really do. Views on his career may be split amongst the fan base, but when everyone else left from the dark days, Bailey chose to stay. He played 1,057 games for the organization over a 15-year career, the third-most in franchise history, and served as an alternate captain for five of those years.
ROSNER: So far, we have already seen the Islanders bring back pending restricted free agents Liam Foudy, Daylan Kuefler, and Marshall Warren, and Hamilton sign Matthew Highmore to an AHL deal. The Islanders still have the following RFAs & UFAs to re-sign that could impact Hamilton: Marc Gatcomb, Alex Jefferies, Eetu Liukas, Matt Maggio, Cam Thiesing, Joey Larson, Travis Mitchell (UFA Group 6), Adam Beckman (UFA Group 6), Cole McWard (UFA Group 6), and Ethan Bear (UFA).
I don’t think we’ll see everyone back, like Beckman, and I don’t think every pending RFA will get tendered a qualifying offer. I do think Matt Luff will be back, to answer your second question.
Darche could add a player or two, like he did when he added Bear for depth last summer, but the goal is for prospects like Cole Eiserman and Aitcheson — Eklund, if he starts in Hamilton, to get the chance to play and develop.
ROSNER: Patrick Roy is not affiliated with the Islanders organization. After being let go with four games to go in the regular season, with two years left on his deal, there was a report that said he may remain on as a scout. We asked Darche about the report at his end-of-the-season press conference, and he said there was no truth to it and that Roy is the head coach. The Islanders gave the Toronto Maple Leafs permission to interview Roy for their head coaching position, and reports indicated he had a very strong meeting with recently appointed general manager John Chayka.
ROSNER: I get why it looks that way. Darche made a few suspect trades at the time, and with the Islanders missing the playoffs, it makes it look like he has no direction for a team caught in what many would call the “mushy middle.”
To me, the pre-deadline moves were to accomplish one goal: to make the playoffs, and that didn’t happen. But he’s going to get the chance to improve the team. Just because we don’t know what Darche’s plan is and he isn’t out there spewing it despite rumors that make up moves the Islanders are trying to make, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one.
A GM's clock, to me, starts running when you fire the head coach, which Darche did, so now, it’s on him and only him to rebound from his previous moves and find a way over the next few months to strengthen his team for the now and the future.
ROSNER: To piggyback off the prior question, yes, Darche added three veterans who didn’t ultimately lead Matthew Schaefer to playoff experience. But let’s not pretend Darche hasn’t started to build around Schaefer. Trading for picks and drafting Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson with those picks are players who are going to be part of Schaefer’s timeline. You can’t rebuild an entirely new prospect pool overnight, especially one that was in the gutter.
It took the Montreal Canadiens three seasons to return to the playoffs after falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The San Jose Sharks haven’t made the playoffs since 2019.
Your “you can easily feel it” line comes after years of their fans being tormented by tough seasons.
The Islanders will not be going through a massive rebuild like those teams, for reasons such as their core being locked up long-term, including a Vezina-caliber goaltender. Darche tried to add top-six help at the trade deadline before acquiring Brayden Schenn and will look to do so this summer.
ROSNER: I think you will see heavy activity before and during the NHL Draft. I don’t think we will see many big moves on July 1, but I do expect more trades than we have seen before because of the slim free-agent class.
Also, we’ve already seen a few players like Dylan Larkin and Darnell Nurse request trades, with more potentially coming.
ROSNER: Darche never said anywhere that he needed to cut payroll. He wants to create more cap flexibility, as every GM does. He has around $10.8 million in available cap space right now. Brayden Schenn’s $6.5 million cap hit over the next two seasons and Palat’s $6 million cap hit this season don’t impact the Islanders right now. If the Islanders need the cap space, then yeah, Darche “needs” to clear cap to fit whoever that player is. Now, what I will say is that if Darche is acquiring, let’s say, Jordan Kyrou, money is going the other way. Maybe you look at Anders Lee as a cap casualty, but that’s not the case.
If Lee is not back, it’s not because the Islanders couldn’t afford him. It will be because of the Darche’s offer and his refusal to cross the line he’s drawn in the sand for a player that’s going to be 36 with young talent ready and waiting.
LATEST STORIES
MATTHEW SCHAEFER COMING TO MATT MARTIN HOCKEY CAMP
It was an enjoyable season for the most part, the team was competitive. Schenn is a needed piece if we are going to compete immediately. He will be a valuable addition with all the young guys being integrated. Not making the playoffs gave Darche clarity on how to move forward.