The Mathieu Darche era: 3 things new Islanders' GM must do to steady ship

The New York Islanders officially announced the hiring of Mathieu Darche as the team’s new GM on Friday, NHL.com confirmed.

Darche, who had spent three seasons as the assistant GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, brings a Stanley Cup pedigree to Long Island. The Isles got to know Darche quite well after the Lightning bounced the Islanders in back-to-back Eastern Conference Final appearances in 2020 and 2021.

With Darche’s hiring, the Islanders are now en route to steadying the ship that went astray last season. As such, the Isles’ new GM must focus on the following three things to ensure the club remains relevant in the coming season and beyond.

3 things new Islanders’ GM must do to steady ship

#3 Have a coach in place as soon as possible

They Isles must determine if Patrick Roy is the right person for the bench boss role moving forward - Source: Imagn

The Isles are at an impasse regarding their bench boss. Patrick Roy led the team to the playoffs in his first year, but failed to get the team back last season.

If the club feels that Roy is the right voice, then Darche should go ahead and confirm him for next season. Otherwise, the Isles will be on the clock to find another bench boss amid the flurry of teams looking for their next head coach.

It’s worth pointing out that having a coach in place before the opening of free agency will be crucial as would-be Islanders will want to know who they'll be playing for.

#2 Address depth issues

One of the key factors in derailing the Isles’ season this past campaign was their lack of depth. That issue became apparent as injuries ravaged through the lineup.

Injuries decimated the blue line and the top six, forcing the team to play defenseman Adam Boqvist at forward down the final couple of weeks of the season.

Another key area was in goal. Ilya Sorokin carried the bulk of the load, starting over 60 games. But when Semyon Varlamov went down with a season-ending injury, the options to back up Sorokin were quite thin. Therefore, the Isles will need to find a capable goalie depth to ensure the club has enough depth should injuries strike again.

#1 Solve special teams problems

Darche will need to address the Isles' dreadful special teams - Source: Imagn

The Islanders’ special teams was horrendous this past season. The Isles’ power play was 31st in the league with a 12.6% rating, while the penalty kill was equally awful, ranking 31st with a 70.1% mark.

That’s something the team will need to address, either by acquiring players who can improve the overall play, or finding the coaching staff that can maximize the Isles’ current group. Perhaps a combination of both will help the Isles get out of their special teams funk.

Regardless of what the ultimate outcome is, Darche should have the club’s special teams atop his priority list in order to ensure that next season won’t be a tough one in Long Island.