A Jolt Of Belief: How Darche’s Trades Have Lifted Islanders
A clear message from management sparked a jolt of belief. Inside how Darche’s trades energized the Islanders’ locker room.
ELMONT, NY — Adding new teammates throughout a season is a commonality in the NHL, especially for teams vying for a playoff spot. But when you are the team adding rather than the team subtracting, it makes a world of difference in the locker room.
It’s a sign of belief from upper management — an immeasurable energy boost.
Given how the Islanders have battled this season through major injuries and inconsistencies, general manager Mathieu Darche added two low-cost players to the New York Islanders’ roster. He acquired defenseman Carson Soucy on Monday before adding forward Ondrej Palat on Tuesday, with both playing a role in their 5-2 victory over the cross-town rival New York Rangers.
Palat played just 11:53 but recorded a power-play goal and an assist, skating at 5-on-5 alongside Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman, with the latter also adding a goal:
Soucy played 15:49, skating alongside Scott Mayfield.
There’s no question Darche’s belief in his squad gave the boys an added energy boost entering Wednesday’s game against their arch-rivals.
“I think it brings a good energy,” Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau told The Elmonters. “I feel like we’ve played so many games in less time because of the Olympic break. It’s so condensed that it’s hard every night to get up and be ready. And I thought we did a pretty good job. And I think adding those pieces just adds a little energy. It shows the confidence that Darchy has in this group. He added two excellent players, also, so I think it gave the most boost to everyone.”
Pageau was acquired ahead of the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, so he understands what it’s like to be the new guy in the room. He also has seen a number of players join the Islanders since then, and it’s always fun to add new personalities to the room.
It’s always fun to have new faces at dinner — and yes, old jokes in the room that have become stale are now first-time jokes for some.
“You get to make the same jokes again,” Pageau said. “They might catch on to them, you know, haha. It’s great. You bring in a guy who’s won with Tampa Bay. Every time I’ve played against Soucy, he’s always hard to play against, and I think that’s what we needed. And you bring in two great players, two great people, and we’ll get to know them. We have great leadership, obviously, with Anders as our captain. I think he makes everyone always feel comfortable. That’s what I’ve heard from the past and from being traded here: everyone makes you feel comfortable coming into this group. And we’re super happy to have them.”
Pageau got to watch Palat score in his Islanders debut, which came against the Rangers. The last Islander to accomplish that feat was Pageau himself, back on Feb. 25, 2020, when he scored a wacky goal and then got ejected for fighting Jacob Trouba after a big hit on Michael Dal Colle:
“It was amazing. We’re used to having him score goals against us, so having him on our side, we’re extremely happy with that,” Pageau said. “Same with Soucy. It’s way easier to have him on your side. He’s a pain in the ass to play against. So we’re extremely happy to have both of them. I think it gives us a good boost of energy when you play that many games in so many days.”
Pageau is a pending unrestricted free agent. While it doesn’t seem that contract negotiations between Pageau’s agent, Newport’s Craig Oster, and Darche have ramped up just yet, it would be a shock to see the Islanders move No. 44, especially while they remain in a playoff spot.
The same can be said for Lee, who is also a pending unrestricted free agent. For both players, seeing the team add should be a further sign that their future — at least for the rest of this season — is on Long Island. That alone can be a stress reliever during trade deadline season, which is often a stressful time for players and their families.
“We put ourselves in a good position and proved to our management that we’re a good hockey team,” Lee told The Elmonters. “It’s great to see that Darchy backed us up like that and went out and made our team better. I think it’s awesome. I know he believes in us. We believe in ourselves in this room, and now we just have to continue to work to put it together.
“We were in contact with Darchy throughout the season, and we know how much he believes in us. And he’s obviously working throughout the season to see what needs to be done to help our hockey team, and I give him credit for going out and doing that.”
This season, after drafting Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick, was expected to be a developmental one. This was a team with a few pieces that could have been moved by the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, allowing Darche to continue building for the future. However, the Islanders have overachieved, and it’s a true positive to see their general manager make moves without sacrificing draft picks or prospects to bolster the hockey club.
“I think he made some good trades,” Simon Holmstrom said. “We’re really sad to lose Tsyplakov as well. He was an unbelievable player and a great person. But we’re happy to have these guys here.”
This Islanders team has had the right vibes all season long — the right mentality — which has allowed them to remain in a playoff spot since that dominant 6-1-0 road trip earlier in the season.
Those vibes got a jolt with these two moves, and there could be more on the horizon before March 6’s deadline.
