EAST MEADOW, NY — When rumors swirled a month ago that the New York Islanders were “shopping” forward Mathew Barzal, it wasn’t something that made a ton of sense.
Like any general manager, especially one running a team that had missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, Mathieu Darche was taking calls on some of his players, including Barzal.
But the thought of the Islanders moving Barzal didn’t make much sense, especially with the organization paying top dollar to bring head coach Pete DeBoer in with four games to go.
Do you think DeBoer, who could have signed on with any team that had a coaching vacancy, had an appetite to join a squad that planned to move its most dynamic forward?
The answer: a resounding no.
Flash forward a month from those rumors, and DeBoer and Barzal are already game-planning for the 2026-27 season.