Takeaways From Mathieu Darche’s Pre-Draft Press Conference

New York Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche held a press conference on Tuesday, three days before the first round of the NHL Draft, touching on a variety of topics. Watch the full media availability and read some takeaways below.

ISLES INTEND TO KEEP THE FIRST-OVERALL PICK

When Darche held his introductory press conference back on May 30, he commented on the rarity of starting a new job with the opportunity to select to pick the best player in the draft. Darche was adamant from day one that he plans to keep the pick, and he confirmed on Tuesday that he expects to be drafting on Friday night.

"Actually, I can't even take credit for it, because the team won the first pick [in the lottery] before I got named," Darche said. "So, I can't even say there was any Darche luck. I've been very fortunate, anytime you have a chance to pick a player at number one, usually you get a special player. I'm going to get a great player that's going to push the organization forward and a player that hopefully plays for us for 15-20 years, if that's how long of a career the player has. I'm really excited about the player we're going to get on Friday."

The new GM and EVP mentioned that the phone lines have been busy during draft week. Hearing out teams is all part of the process, but Darche has the sole intention of doing what it takes to make the team better. With three days remaining until the first round, Darche said he has an idea of who he’s going to select first overall, but he’ll continue to be thorough until the Isles are on the clock.

“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. There are a few guys we like. I have an idea at this point because it's in a few days, we're going to keep doing our due diligence all the way through Friday.

REMAINING OPEN MINDED AND FOCUSED

Darche was asked about potentially acquiring a second first-round pick, or trading a pick to get an established player. All options are on the table for the new GM, who is focused on making the team better.

“I'm looking at everything,” Darche said. “It depends, because if you move into the top 10, what does it cost you? If I feel like the opportunity warrants that trade, I’ll try it, or if there’s an opportunity to do something else that improves the team.”

EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPMENT

Darche envisions the first-overall selection as a franchise player, and although there will be a lot of excitement for his Islanders debut, there’s no need to rush him to the NHL if the team feels he needs more time in juniors or college.

"If the player comes here and shows me that he belongs in the NHL, he will be in the NHL," Darche said. "If we feel that he needs more time, we'll give him more time. So for us, the player we want, we want him to be here for a long time. We want him to have an NHL career, there's no rush in getting him to the NHL."

UPDATE ON RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Darche offered an update on the Isles restricted free agents, which include Noah Dobson, Simon Holmstrom, Max Tsyplakov and Alexander Romanov.

Darche said his intention is to sign his RFAs, but is doing his due diligence when it comes to the delicate balance of making sure the player and team are getting their fair value.

"I'm still trying to sign all our restricted free agents," Darche said. "I've been talking with the agents. It's been a very cordial negotiation."

IMPRESSIONS OF THE NEW HIRES

Darche has been building his staff over the past month, bringing in Bob Boughner and Ray Bennett as Assistant Coaches, Ryan Bowness as Assistant GM and Rocky Thompson as the new Head Coach in Bridgeport.

Darche said the Bennett and Boughner hires were a collaborative process with Head Coach Patrick Roy. Boughner will coach the defensemen and run the PK, while Bennett will run the power play.

"I sat down with Patrick and we came up with names together," Darche said. "At the end of the day, I want him to be comfortable with the assistants. Patrick zeroed in on Bob [Boughner] and Ray [Bennett] and I did my due diligence. Ray has been the NHL for 25 years, and Bob has been a head coach and he's been an assistant coach. We're excited to have both of them on board."

Darche also touched on the hiring of Bowness, who was named Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel, saying that his vast experience around the league will help “fill the gap” in player personnel matters.

Darche has always been focused on development at the AHL level and brought in Rocky Thompson as the Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders, highlighting his ability to work with young players and success in junior and the AHL. Darche confirmed that Thompson has begun the process of hiring assistant coaches and confirmed he’ll run development camp following the draft.