Mathieu Darche Did His Job: Now It’s On Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy needed certain players and Mathieu Darche went out and did what he could this summer. Now, the onus is on Roy to get the most out of this group.
Since the New York Islanders hired Mathieu Darche on May 23 following a month-long GM search, he’s been a busy man.
He re-signed forwards Kyle Palmieri and Adam Boqvist, as well as defenseman Tony DeAngelo, all to short-term deals. He also traded away defenseman Noah Dobson and locked in Alexander Romanov with a long-term extension—opting for short-term agreements elsewhere, including with forward Emil Heineman, who came over from Montreal in the Dobson deal.
With a bit of luck, Darche bolstered the Islanders’ prospect pool, landing a potentially elite two-way defenseman in Matthew Schaefer, a speedy and shifty forward in Victor Eklund, and the viciously physical Kashawn Aitcheson—all in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. He then added a few more potential impact players in the later rounds.
In free agency, he filled key holes—bringing in forwards Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov, as well as goaltender David Rittich. He also retained forwards Maxim Tsyplakov, Simon Holmstrom, and Marc Gatcomb.
He also assisted coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin, along with the entire Bridgeport Islanders staff. He worked alongside head coach Patrick Roy to find replacements, hiring Ray Bennett from Colorado and Bob Boughner from Detroit, along with Rocky Thompson from Lehigh Valley, plus his two assistants, David Cunniff and Chad Kolarik.
Darche also retained fan favorite Matt Martin, who retired to become the assistant to the general manager.
The Schaefer Decision Looms
While deciding on the development path for Schaefer remains a significant task—college, juniors, a nine-game NHL stint, or a full-time NHL role—Darche’s first offseason is close to wrapped.
If college is ruled out, the Schaefer situation will be settled after training camp, once the No. 1 pick is given every chance to make the team.
So outside of that fall decision, what’s left for Darche to do?