Pressure Is A Privilege
Darche speaks; Martin retires and gets hired: Big Z to the Hall
Good Morning, Islanders Country.
When Mathieu Darche took the reins as Islanders GM, he inherited a gift most hockey executives can only dream about: the first-overall pick. Now, with draft day looming, Darche is part talent evaluator, part detective, and part fortune teller—trying to predict not just who will be the best player, but who’ll thrive on Long Island for the next two decades.
No pressure.
When he’s not charging his phone three times a day, Darche is working a whiteboard the size of a movie screen, probably covered in scouting notes and caffeine stains. He's hearing and taking offers, sure—but at this point, he knows he’s not trading the No.1 overall pick, and he likely knows who it will be.
“We're going to keep debating it till the end, keep calling around and getting as much info,” Darche said. “It’s part of the job, because we all know the talent at this point, it's about researching more on the character and personalities, trying to get as much information.”
Is there pressure? Of course. But as Darche himself would likely say, pressure is a privilege—especially when it comes with the power to draft a franchise cornerstone. Come Friday, Darche won’t just make a pick. He’ll plant the flag for the next era of Islanders hockey. And from the looks of it, he’s more than ready to handle the moment.
Let’s dive in.
📰 NEWS: New GM Mathieu Darche held a video press conference on Tuesday, answering a wide range of questions and reaffirming the Islanders' plan to keep the No. 1 pick in this year’s NHL Draft. Despite a flurry of calls from other teams, Darche confirmed that he expects to make the pick Friday night. “You usually get a special player at No. 1,” Darche said, adding that the team is still finalizing its decision and prioritizing both talent and character in their evaluations.
🔁 Exploring All Options, But Staying Disciplined
Darche acknowledged that he's open to acquiring another first-round pick or trading for established players—but only if it makes sense for the team's long-term health. “I’m looking at everything,” he said, noting the importance of cost-benefit analysis in potential deals.
📈 Emphasis on Development
While fans may be eager to see the No. 1 pick debut immediately, Darche is taking a patient approach. If the player proves NHL-ready, great—but the team won’t rush development. “We want him to have a long NHL career,” Darche stated.
📝 RFA Updates
Darche is currently negotiating with the agents of RFAs Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom, and Max Tsyplakov. Talks have been “cordial,” and the GM hopes to sign all of them while ensuring fair value.
Matt Martin Announces Retirement, Joins Isles Front Office
Beloved Islanders forward Matt Martin officially announced his retirement from the NHL after 15 hard-fought seasons—and he’s not going far. Darche has named Martin Special Assistant to the General Manager, keeping the heart-and-soul veteran within the organization.
👤 Martin by the Numbers
NHL Seasons: 15
Games Played: 987 (855 with Islanders)
Points: 178 (81G, 97A)
Playoff Games: 88 | Playoff Points: 13 (8G, 5A)
What will Martin be doing?
This position isn’t ceremonial.
Matt will be doing work from the start.
“I’m going to have him involved in basically every facet [of the organization],” said Darche on ESPN Radio on Tuesday afternoon. “He’s going to be with us at the draft, and he’s going to be in our meetings. He’s here right now as we’re talking about the roster. We’ll have him do some amateur scouting, some pro scouting, and he’ll be going to Bridgeport.”
Big Z to the Hall of Fame
He may have had his Hall-of-Fame seasons, but Zdeno Chara started and ended his career on Long Island and will always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of Islanders fans. On Tuesday, Chara joined Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, and Alexander Mogilny as four of the eight individuals elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Canadian women’s national team forward and former MSG Networks analyst Jennifer Botterill will also be inducted in Toronto on Nov. 10.
📚 SOUND SMART: Chara becomes the ninth player in Islanders history to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, joining Denis Potvin (1991), Mike Bossy (1991), Billy Smith (1993), Bryan Trottier (1997), Clark Gillies (2002), Pat LaFontaine (2003), Roberto Luongo (2022) and Pierre Turgeon (2023). Former GM Bill Torrey (1995), former Head Coach Al Arbour (1996), and former Scout Jim Devellano (2010) have also been inducted into the HOF in the builder category.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On June 25, 2021, the Tampa Bay Lightning punched a ticket to their second-straight Stanley Cup Final after a 1-0 blanking of the Islanders in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. Yanni Gourde scored the game's only goal shorthanded in the second period as Andrei Vasilevskiy made 18 saves in the victory, ending the Isles' second straight deep playoff run.
🎧 Island Ice: Darche first draft, NHL’s Steve Mayer “Andrew previews the Isles' No. 1 pick and the first draft under new GM Mathieu Darche, plus hear from NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer about the league's decentralized draft”
🔗 Fans should be thrilled that the Islanders are keeping the top pick by Todd Matthews, Eyes on Isles “A while ago, I called this one as I saw it: Trade the pick, and you’d have gotten off to a bad first impression with this fanbase, Mr. Mathieu Darche. Darche put those rumors to sleep on Tuesday. And, while I’d have kept everyone guessing until I turned in the draft card, keeping the right pick’s still the correct move.”
🔗 NHL Draft looking for a special experience for picks, fans by Andrew Gross, Newsday “Prospects selected during the NHL Draft on Friday night and Saturday in Los Angeles will take to the stage at the Peacock Theater to greet Commissioner Gary Bettman or another league executive as well as the team representative — potentially a celebrity — that called his name. That’s fairly standard for the yearly selection process.”
And we leave you with this…the NHLPA gives a nod to Matt Martin
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