Barely a month into his new role overseeing the New York Islanders, Mathieu Darche understands there is not much he can take credit for yet in placing his stamp on the franchise.
The 48-year-old first-time general manager was still employed by Tampa Bay in early May when the NHL lottery balls bounced the Islanders’ way, vaulting them 10 spots in the order to land the first pick at the draft in Los Angeles on Friday.
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“x 42?’E 6G6? D2J :E H2D E96 s2C496 =F4<[” 96 D2:5 H:E9 2 =2F89 62C=:6C E9:D H66<]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96 92C5 H@C< @7 EFC?:?8 2C@F?5 2? xD=2?56CD E62> E92E 92D >:DD65 E96 A=2J@77D EH:46 😕 E96 A2DE 7@FC J62CD[ 2?5 ?@E H@? 2 D6C:6D D:?46 C6249:?8 E96 a_a` D6>:7:?2=D[ DE2CED ?@H H:E9 }6H *@C< 2?E:4:A2E65 E@ D6=64E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\5C27E\>2EE96H\D492676C\bacfa4h_cdb4cec5f4efcdh75`e67`_4Qm5676?D6>2? |2EE96H $492676Ck^2m]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%9@F89 s2C496 H@?’E 5:D4=@D6 9:D A=2?D 7@C }@] `[ H92E 😀 4=62C 😀 E96 xD=2?56CD 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 255 2 J@F?8[ }w{\C625J 4@C?6CDE@?6 E@ 2 E62> E92E H2D ;FDE EH@ A@:?ED @FE 4@?E6?E:@? 367@C6 4@==2AD:?8 5@H? E96 DEC6E49 H:E9 2 b\f\c 7:?:D9]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“x’> 8@:?8 E@ 86E 2 8C62E A=2J6C E92E’D 8@:?8 E@ AFD9 @FC @C82?:K2E:@? 7@CH2C5 2?5 2 A=2J6C E92E 9@A67F==J A=2JD 7@C FD 7@C `d[ a_ J62CD[” 96 D2:5[ 367@C6 36:?8 2D<65 DA64:7:42==J 23@FE $492676C]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“w6’D 2? :>AC6DD:G6 J@F?8 >2?[” s2C496 D2:5 @7 E96 EH@\H2J 5676?D6>2? 7@C E96 tC:6 ~EE6CD H9@ 92D D9@H? A@:D6 2?5 A6CD6G6C2?46 27E6C =@D:?8 9:D >@E96C E@ 42?46C 2>:5 @E96C 492==6?86D] “w6’D 2 96== @7 2 A=2J6C] w6’D 2 8C62E A6CD@?] qFE 92G:?8 D2:5 E92E[ E96C6’D 2 =@E @7 @E96C <:5D 2E E96 5C27E E92E H6 >6E E92E 2C6 G6CJ :>AC6DD:G6]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96 $2? y@D6 $92C^2CE:4=6^?9=\5C27E\A:4<\D92C24<=:?\46=63C:?:\`_a7`dha5624d`c6fbb5b74g5dhea`5fQma_ac }@] ` A:4
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“xE’D 366? D@>6 E@F89 D62D@?D 7@C @FC 72?D[ 2D H6==[ E@ <:?5 @7 86E E9C@F89] qFE x E9:?< H6’C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ EFC? E96 4@C?6C[” $92C E92E 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D92C@DE C646?E=J C6249:?8 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmvC:6C 564=:?65 E@ DA64F=2E6 @? H9@ >:89E 8@ 7:CDE[ H9:=6 ?@E:?8 E96 $92CA24E A=2J6C 2E }@] a]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmx7 $492676C 8@6D 7:CDE[ $2? y@D6 H:== 92G6 D6G6C2= @AE:@?D 2E 46?E6C[ H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\5C27E\a_ad\>:4926=\>:D2\4eaa7_32`4hbc4g5`e66eh6da4355eebQm~w{ $28:?2H’D |:4926= |:D2k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\5C27E\7C@?56==\6<=F?5\H6DE\52C496\e6gfea5`h`eee`hecc`bae5hdd7cbeefQm$H656?’D p?E@? uC@?56==k^2m 2>@?8 E96 42?5:52E6D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmr9:428@ 😀 D6E E@ A:4< E9:C5[ 7@==@H65 3J &E29[ H9:49 2=D@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^FE29\9@4<6J\4=F3\DF>>6C\3543a3a622d7ff`3de_gc`cc46ab7h3aQm;F>A65 `_ DA@ED 😕 E96 @C56Ck^2m 7@==@H:?8 E96 5C27E =@EE6CJ] pE }@] d 😀 }2D9G:==6[ 7@==@H65 3J !9:=256=A9:2 — EH@ E62>D E92E H:== 92G6 4@?D:56C23=6 :?7=F6?46 @? E96 D6=64E:@? AC@46DD H:E9 E9C66 A:4
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“%96C6’D 567:?:E6=J 2 =@E @7 2>>@ E@ ECJ E@ 5@ 5:776C6?E E9:?8D[ 2?5 ?@E ?646DD2C:=J >@G:?8 FA @C 5@H?[ 3FE :E 4@F=5 36 24BF:C:?8 7@C E96 7FEFC6[” u=J6CD v| s2??J qC:6C D2:5]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDEC@?8m%wt %~! %p{t}%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96 E@A\C2?<65 &]$]\3@C? AC@DA64E 😀 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:D=2?56CD\?9=\5C27E\;2>6D\9286?D\ghg`_25e74d_`6c7dfefd6_56hccbcfdQmq@DE@? r@==686 46?E6C y2>6D w286?Dk^2m[ H9@ 😀 7C@> {@?8 xD=2?5]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96 4@?D6?DFD 😀 E96 A@@= @7 E@A\E:6C\C2E65 AC@DA64ED 8@6D D6G6? 566A[ E9@F89 E96C6’D 2 5632E6 @G6C 9@H E62>D C2?< A=2J6CD 36J@?5 $492676C[ |:D2 2?5 uC@?56==] %92E >62?D E96 :?EC:8F6 2E E96 5C27E 😀 2?E:4:A2E65 E@ DE2CE H:E9 &E29 2E }@] c]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm|2>>@E9 v| q:== pC>DEC@?8 5@6D?’E 3FJ :E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“xE’D :?E6C6DE:?8 3642FD6 E96C6’D D@ >2?J E9:?8D E92E 42? >@G6[ C:89En” D2:5 pC>DEC@?8[ H9@ 25565 2 E@A\=:?6 7@CH2C5 😕 24BF:C:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D23C6D\>2>>@E9\EC256\A6E6C<2\5@2?\<6DD6=C:?8\63_`5bbf5_ehg235d4423h53gd5`fac7Qmyy !6E6C<2 😕 2 EC256 H:E9 qF772=@ @? (65?6D52Jk^2m H:E9@FE D24C:7:4:?8 &E29’D 5C27E A@D:E:@?] “(6’C6 😕 E92E AC@46DD @7 6IA=@C:?8 H92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 E@ FD 2E c[ 2?5 x =:<6 H92E’D E96C6]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmxE’D E62>D =:<6 E96 $23C6D[ @H?6CD @7 E96 ?:?E9 A:4<[ E92E 2C6 H6:89:?8 E96:C @AE:@?D E@ D66 9@H E96 7:CDE C@F?5 F?7@=5D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“%96 :?EC:8F6 2?5 ?6CG@FD?6DD H:== 36 9@H H6 G:6H E96 E@A D:I\D6G6? 2?5 H:== @?6 @7 E9@D6 36 E96C6 2E ?:?6 7@C FDn” qF772=@ 2DD:DE2?E v| y6CCJ u@CE@? D2:5]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDEC@?8m!~~{ ~u k^DEC@?8mkDEC@?8m!#~$!tr%$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%9:D J62C’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\5C27E\fhgcaf6_a74hg6bghegea5`gd3h_55`_QmA@@= @7 5C27E AC@DA64EDk^2m 😀 C682C565 2D DEC@?8[ 3FE =24^2CE:4=6^4@K6?D\>4<6??2\?9=\D23C6D\JF<@?\acc6`aa43b4_`_bh6b7d63b7heae`7e_Qmv2G:? |4z6??2 =@?8\E23365 2D E96 }@] ` A:4< ?6IE J62Ck^2m]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmu@CH2C5D 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 5@>:?2E6 E96 E@A `_ D6=64E:@?D 36J@?5 $492676C[ H9@ 😀 =:DE65 2E e\7@@E\a 2?5 `ge A@F?5D 2?5 4@?D:56C65 2? 6=:E6 D<2E6C 2?5 2 C6=:23=6 5676?56C H:E9 A=2J>2<:?8 FAD:56]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmuC@> w2>:=E@?[ ~?E2C:@[ $492676C 92D E96 492?46 E@ 36 E96 7:CDE ~w{ A=2J6C E@ 8@ }@] ` D:?46 a_`d[ H96? tC:6 DE2C r@??@C |4s2G:5 H2D D6=64E65 7:CDE 3J t5>@?E@?]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“}@E9:?8’D C62==J <:4<65 😕 E@@ >F49 C:89E ?@H 3642FD6 x 5@?’E E9:?< 23@FE :E E@@ >F49[” $492676C D2:5 %9FCD52J] “x 8F2C2?E66 J@F E@>@CC@H ?:89E[ E9@F89[ :E 7@C DFC6 H:==]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96 xD=2?56CD 92G6 AC6G:@FD=J A:4<65 }@] ` 7@FC E:>6D[ H:E9 y@9? %2G2C6D E96 >@DE C646?E 😕 a__h] %96 =2DE E:>6 E96J E@@< 2 5676?D6>2? 2E@A E96 5C27E H2D `hfb[ 2?5 s6?:D !@EG:? 96=A65 E96> H:? E96 $E2?=6J rFA 7@FC E:>6D 😕 2 C@H 7C@> `hg_\gb @? E96 H2J E@ E96 w@4<6J w2== @7 u2>6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm}6H *@C<[ 9@H6G6C[ 92D =28865 😕 7:CDE\C@F?5 A:42C6 😕 D:I J62CD E96 xD=6D 92G6 2 7:CDE\C@F?5 A:4< 27E6C D6=64E:?8 r@=6 t:D6C>2? 2E }@] a_ =2DE J62C F?56C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:D=2?56CD\=@F\=2>@C:6==@\c33gfc56fbb`5d7`4_dfag2432c“e2cQms2C496’D AC65646DD@C[ {@F {2>@C:6==@]k^2mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“#682C5=6DD @7 H9@ H6 A:4< @? uC:52J[ H6’== 86E 2 DA64:2= A=2J6C E92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 96=A E96 }6H *@C< xD=2?56CD 72:C=J BF:4<=J[” s2C496 D2:5]k^Am