Takeaways from Darche’s Post-Draft Press Conference

Following the 2026 NHL Draft, New York Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche gave a state of the team, touching on the draft, free agency, Tony DeAngelo’s extension and more.

VARLAMOV UPDATE

Darche made it clear there’s a spot for Semyon Varlamov to play next season if he’s fully healthy.

Varlamov’s recovery journey has been a long one, as the veteran netminder hasn’t played an NHL game since Nov. 2024. Varlamov willed his way back into game action last season, playing two AHL games for Bridgeport on a conditioning stint at the end of the season.

“We’re excited [by] the way he played in the AHL,” Darche said. “Right now, if he’s healthy, we plan on him. Hopefully [Varlamov] he gives us the 25-30 starts we want from a backup. He’d be an awesome addition for us if that works out.”

Darche added that they’ll look into signing goalies to protect themselves, although established goaltenders might not run the risk of potentially being a team’s number three netminder.​

RFA UPDATE

Darche said the Islanders are not planning to qualify defenseman Adam Boqvist.

While he didn’t provide updates on the status of the Islanders other free agents, Darche saidhe wants to give 22-year-old defenseman Isaiah George a chance to make the team.

George has 37 games played with the Islanders across two seasons, while he’s coming off a season in Bridgeport with a career-high 18 points (2G, 16A) through 47 games played.

“When camp starts, Isaiah George will have every opportunity to be on this team, and we hope he finds a way to be on this team,” Darche said.

ISLES ADD HEALY

The Islanders made a depth trade on Saturday night, acquiring defenseman Ryan Healey from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations.

The 22-year-old spent the last four seasons at Harvard University. The 6-foot, 183-pound right-shot defenseman collected 12 points (4G, 8A) in 2025-26, finishing second among Harvard blue liners in scoring.

DEANGELO EXTENDS FOR TWO YEARS

Tony DeAngelo signed a two-year deal on Friday. The 30-year-old blueliner had 35 points (5G, 30A) in 76 games this season. Darche said DeAngelo’s absence was felt during an injury spell at the end of the season.

"Tony has been great since he's been here," Darche said. "He's a very popular teammate. It's tough to find puck moving defensemen, nevermind a right shot puck moving defenseman. So Tony is a big part of our team. We're excited to have him back."

THOMPSON AND MCKEE

Darche shed some light on his decision to promote Rocky Thompson from Head Coach of the team’s AHL affiliate to Assistant Coach with the Islanders.

Thompson led the Bridgeport Islanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22 and won 19 more games than the season prior. With the promotion, Darche is looking forward to seeing how Thompson compliments the style of Islanders Head Coach Peter DeBoer.

“He did a phenomenal job last year in Bridgeport, I thought he was able to really change the culture down there,” Darche said. “When Pete took over, he wanted to make some changes to the staff. When he met with Rocky, he was really comfortable with him and loved his energy and communication skills.”

That created a vacancy in the AHL and Jay McKee was hired at the end of last month as the Islanders’ AHL franchise relocated to Hamilton. Darche is excited about the new chapter, as a firm believer of the minor league system. McKee’s experience with high-end prospects factored into his hiring, as Darche is comfortable with his development process.

“Jay was very sought after this summer, and last summer too,” Darche said. “We just felt that Jay's track record in the OHL and the way he's developed players, it was a no brainer for us.”