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The New York Islanders were the team at the NHL Draft. They traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, drafted Matthew Schaefer first overall, and made two more first-round picks. New general manager Mathieu Darche made his splash, but he did not sit out on July 1. How did the Islanders fare on each of their NHL free agency deals? Will Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov be good fits on Long Island?
Darche has signed ten contracts as the general manager of the Islanders. But most of those were keeping players from the Lou Lamoriello era. Kyle Palmieri and Adam Boqvist agreed to contracts with Lamoriello that were not certified, and Darche honored them. Of the remaining seven, Marc Gatcomb, Tony DeAngelo, Simon Holmstrom, and Alexander Romanov were re-signed. Emil Heineman, David Rittich, Drouin, and Shabanov are the remaining four.
How did Darche and the Islanders make out on each of these deals?
Grading the three Islanders' UFA deals
The biggest name of the three Islanders UFA deals is Jonathan Drouin. Formerly the third overall pick, Drouin's long and bizarre career recently featured two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. He cracked 50 points for just the third time in his career in 2023-24 at 28 years old. The Islanders are paying him $4 million per year for the next two seasons. Darche gets an A- for bringing in a veteran winger to add scoring.
Maxim Shabanov was signed on July 2 out of Russia, ending a lengthy courting period. The New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Pittsburgh Penguins all had interest in the 24-year-old. Darche is taking a low-risk, high-reward bet on a young scorer who could change their middle six. This one-year, $975,000 deal gets an A.
The Islanders signed Tony DeAngelo out of the KHL in Russia due to all of their defensive injuries. He scored 19 points in 35 games, adding an offensive punch to a team in desperate need of one. Despite the general manager change, the Islanders knew they needed to keep him. His one-year, $1.75 million deal is a big win for a guy who could have gotten multiple years somewhere else. This one is another A.
The Islanders kept Kyle Palmieri on a two-year, $4.75 million annual deal. This deal comes with a full no-trade clause this season and a modified no-trade clause for the following season. He struggled mightily after they traded Brock Nelson, with just seven points in 21 games after the deadline. With the fact that Lamoriello agreed to the deal, this one gets a C+. Palmieri does not fit Darche's competitive window, and honoring Lamoriello's unfinished contracts is a questionable decision.
The final UFA deal the Islanders signed was goalie David Rittich. He has been a solid backup throughout his career, which has spanned nine seasons. This deal raised eyebrows, as Semyon Varlamov is still under contract as the backup. Does this mean the veteran's injury is more serious than the team is letting on? Darche gets a C+, just because there are some questions.
Did Mathieu Darche get good value on the five RFA deals?
The most expensive deal the Islanders signed this offseason went to defenseman Alexander Romanov. After trading Dobson, Darche needed to keep Romanov. He pulled through, giving the 25-year-old eight years for $6.25 million per year. Patrick Roy has his cornerstone defenseman for the next eight years at a reasonable cap hit. Darche gets an A-.
The Islanders brought Emil Heineman in as part of the Dobson trade package. While the two first-round picks got the attention in the deal, Heineman was an important part of the return. He is a physical winger who can add to their bottom six. He got a two-year deal worth $1.1 million per year as an RFA with only ten career goals. Darche and the Islanders get a B+ for this one. Heineman could be an important piece if used appropriately, but cannot be expected to drive scoring.
Simon Holmstrom was drafted in the first round by the Islanders in 2019. He had his first 20-goal season in 2024-25, his third year in the NHL. Keeping him for two years at $3.625 million per year is a solid deal. Plus, he will still be an RFA when that expires, so they still have team control. Darche gets an A- here.
Adam Boqvist is a depth defenseman that the Islanders picked up off waivers last year. He is not going to change their season outlook, but keeping him for one year at $850,000 is not bad. The final deal the Islanders and Mathieu Darche have signed is forward Marc Gatcomb to a one-year, $900,000 deal. The University of Connecticut product came up and played well in fourth-line minutes for the NHL club. Darche gets a pass on both of these pass/fail courses.
Overall, this is a decent report card for a rookie GM that should leave Islanders fans optimistic about the future.
