Mathieu Darche’s first order of business as New York Islanders general manager is to scout the talent pool available at the 2025 NHL Draft and decipher which player is worthy of being chosen with the No. 1 overall pick.
The new head of the Islanders’ front office expects to use the No. 1 overall pick, which is deemed to be a three-horse race between defenseman Matthew Schaefer, along with forwards Michael Misa and James Hagens.
They are officially on the clock come June 27 in Los Angeles.
“I expect us to make a pick at the end of the month here. You have to do your due diligence,” Darche said during his introductory press conference at UBS Arena on Thursday. “Anyone that calls, you have to listen, but someone would have to knock my socks off to trade that pick because we’re going to get a special player. But I’m going to do my due diligence. But I expect us to be picking.”
After a playoff-less season, which prompted Lou Lamoriello’s parting of ways as president of hockey operations and general manager, the Islanders’ vacant general manager job received a significant boost in attractiveness after they defied the odds to win the Draft Lottery for the No. 1 pick on May 5. Entering the night, they had a 3.5% chance of getting that top pick.
This is not considered an overly strong draft, but Schaefer, Misa, and Hagens are considered the bona fide best prospects available, even if they might not be able to make the immediate jump from their amateur clubs to the NHL. Schaefer and Misa came up through the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) while Hagens, a Hauppauge, NY native, is attending Boston College.
