New York Islanders: Mathieu Darche is named GM of the New York Islanders

[periferal]

Well, the Leafs and Sportsnet are both owned by a media company, Rogers, for starters. The Leafs are the biggest content for their own sports network. Leafs content is pumped constantly, them and the Jay’s (also Rogers owned).

It’s one of the reasons I hate the Leafs so much… there’s 7 nhl teams in this country and the one they own gets 90+% of the coverage 24/7.

I’m sure if it wasn’t a Friday on a long weekend they’d have had a press conference. I’m sure there will be one next week when people are paying more attention to the news cycle.

Foprget the Leafs. We understand they are a unique situation both in terms of ownership and money they have.

That said, lots of other NHL teams hold press conferences with VIDEO when there is news as big as hiring a new GM/president. That's what I want the Isles to have.
Darche is physically in the building and we don't even have a simple video interview with him done my Isles media/PR up on the site? Come on....Do better.

Hopefully this is one of the things he changes.

 

[periferal]

So Darche has similar power as Zito, Nill and Brisebois. Looks like the Isles considered the most experienced guys and Darche. I wonder if the plan from the start was to hire just one guy? Also makes me think their intelligence at the start when asking around was that if they were going to hire an AGM, Darche was the only guy to hire. And they must have really liked what they saw in the interviews to feel comfortable enough to make him the GM/EVP with total authority for hockey.

I think the plan was to hire "one guy" - If that guy was experienced (Holland for example). After Holland left and they interviewed Darche I think they really decided he was the guy, but given he's a 1st timer they wanted to surround him with a more experienced exec. That's why they waited on Shanahan. However I think Darche is being groomed to ultimtely run everything so there really wouldn't be room for Shanahan here.

 

[periferal]

It's not a claim. It's an observation based on his experience. You're certainly not disagreeing that the focus of the Lightning front office wasn't player development, rebuilding a minor league franchise, moving out veteran players and managing the draft. So, what's so ridiculous when the tasking walking in the door here is to do those things. I'm not even saying that can't get that done but, he hasn't been in a front office that has been tasked with doing that.

To be clear, I understand fully what a team contending does but that's not what needs to be done here. Hopefully the right people are brought in around him to get things moving. I'm not sure Roy is one of those people so it will be interesting to see what his span of influence is.

I mean to flip it...If Darche was around the Lightning the past 15 years you don't think he/they would've drafted/groomed/developed Stamkos, Hedman, Kucherov, Vasilievskiy, Point, Killorn, Gourde, and everyone else that led to 2 Stanley Cups?

Darche has a lot to prove, but Tampa is pretty much the best run franchise and I'm super happy that my new GM was sought out by them and he had the experience of working there.

 

[periferal]

Leave my Jets alone! lol

Don't blame me. Woody Johnson (and all his offspring) should leave the Jets alone.

 

[doublechili]

I think the plan was to hire "one guy" - If that guy was experienced (Holland for example). After Holland left and they interviewed Darche I think they really decided he was the guy, but given he's a 1st timer they wanted to surround him with a more experienced exec. That's why they waited on Shanahan. However I think Darche is being groomed to ultimtely run everything so there really wouldn't be room for Shanahan here.

And, as I said, it appears that Darche is the only AGM that they interviewed. My guess is that Malkin/Collins did their initial calling around/due diligence and decided that he was the only AGM that they were going to consider - they might've gotten the word that he is capable of running the whole show. That's part of what makes me think they may have decided to go with one guy from the start - since they only interviewed the most experienced ex-GMs and Darche. If they were truly considering a POHO/GM tandem, wouldn't they have broadened the net and interviewed more candidates? I think they may have waited on Shanahan as potentially being the one guy. IDK.

 

[periferal]

And, as I said, it appears that Darche is the only AGM that they interviewed. My guess is that Malkin/Collins did their initial calling around/due diligence and decided that he was the only AGM that they were going to consider - they might've gotten the word that he is capable of running the whole show. That's part of what makes me think they may have decided to go with one guy from the start - since they only interviewed the most experienced ex-GMs and Darche. If they were truly considering a POHO/GM tandem, wouldn't they have broadened the net and interviewed more candidates? I think they may have waited on Shanahan as potentially being the one guy. IDK.

Mostly true I'm guessing, but mutiple reports said Shanahan was never going to be the GM so he could never be the "one guy."

Also wondering when Collins/Malkin decided to fire Lou. Wondering if they had some "closed doors" lists of who they would interview a while back.

That said Friedman had reported that the Isles were calling around the NHL to see if there were any "up and comers" that they should be interviewing. It probably never got to that stage of an in-person interview with any of them as they were probably not that experienced.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

Darche wants to show he's in charge and not the ownership. First 2 moves

Fire - Lou's son and Roy

No new GM should start his term off with another GM hiring, especially at coaching.....

We shall see. He has a lot on his plate right now and needs to prioritize. I suspect he has bigger fish to fry than firing Roy. Firing the coach means hiring a new one.

He has a lot to learn first from talking with the current players, coaching staff, etc.

Priorities are:

1) preparing for the draft, free agency and contracts of existing players. He needs to come up to speed in what he has here so he can plan potential trades, free agents and to project his next roster.

2) Figure out how to fix Bridgeport and get that organization in order as a landing spot for his prospects.

Firing Roy for the sake of proving he is in charge seems remote to me. If he fires Roy, hopefully he has done his homework on what he needs with this team considering he is going in trying to be competitive this coming season.

 

[seafoam]

We shall see. He has a lot on his plate right now and needs to prioritize. I suspect he has bigger fish to fry than firing Roy. Firing the coach means hiring a new one.

He has a lot to learn first from talking with the current players, coaching staff, etc.

Priorities are:

1) preparing for the draft, free agency and contracts of existing players. He needs to come up to speed in what he has here so he can plan potential trades, free agents and to project his next roster.

2) Figure out how to fix Bridgeport and get that organization in order as a landing spot for his prospects.

Firing Roy for the sake of proving he is in charge seems remote to me. If he fires Roy, hopefully he has done his homework on what he needs with this team considering he is going in trying to be competitive this coming season.

Rumor has it Darche would like to bring Guy Boucher into the fold. Boucher has one year remaining on his contract as Head Coach with Avangars Omsk of the KHL.

 

[Osakahaus]

We shall see. He has a lot on his plate right now and needs to prioritize. I suspect he has bigger fish to fry than firing Roy. Firing the coach means hiring a new one.

He has a lot to learn first from talking with the current players, coaching staff, etc.

Priorities are:

1) preparing for the draft, free agency and contracts of existing players. He needs to come up to speed in what he has here so he can plan potential trades, free agents and to project his next roster.

2) Figure out how to fix Bridgeport and get that organization in order as a landing spot for his prospects.

Firing Roy for the sake of proving he is in charge seems remote to me. If he fires Roy, hopefully he has done his homework on what he needs with this team considering he is going in trying to be competitive this coming season.

Priority #2 for Darche is making Bridgeport way better because that entire place is a tirefire. Lamoriello should genuinely be remembered for how he kinda neglected that team for his entire tenure,

 

[Throttle]

Shanahan alleged had an annual salary of 7 figures, with bonuses pushing it to 8.

That’s a chunk of change to take on when Shanahan just played corporate spinmeister and let Lou and his staff draft and build the team. Shanahan just let the team roll on autopilot with Dubas screwing it up year over year under his watch. No one wanted to rock the gravy train in Toronto. The players faced all the media pressure, not Shanahan (or Dubas as he culled media favors by giving them access).

 

[islesmb]

Because I hate the Mets, Nets and Jets!. I liked whoever my father and brother told me to like and it was decreed on day one that would be the Yankees, Islanders, Giants and Knicks. My Aunt Marie had a big part in it too. I'll never forget asking her as a kid "so all the people who were Dodgers fans just became Mets fans?". With pure vitriol she replied "the same pack of slobs!". It was wonderful and I still use it to this day when called upon to compare one group of people I don't like with similarities to another.

My dad is 75 years old and is still a Dodgers fan to this day.

 

[doublechili]

Mostly true I'm guessing, but mutiple reports said Shanahan was never going to be the GM so he could never be the "one guy."

Also wondering when Collins/Malkin decided to fire Lou. Wondering if they had some "closed doors" lists of who they would interview a while back.

That said Friedman had reported that the Isles were calling around the NHL to see if there were any "up and comers" that they should be interviewing. It probably never got to that stage of an in-person interview with any of them as they were probably not that experienced.

If we were talking about replacements before Lou was let go, I'm thinking Collins/Malkin were as well. Probably going back as far as, I think, December when firing Lou was first discussed.

 

[12Dog]

Bu

We shall see. He has a lot on his plate right now and needs to prioritize. I suspect he has bigger fish to fry than firing Roy. Firing the coach means hiring a new one.

He has a lot to learn first from talking with the current players, coaching staff, etc.

Priorities are:

1) preparing for the draft, free agency and contracts of existing players. He needs to come up to speed in what he has here so he can plan potential trades, free agents and to project his next roster.

2) Figure out how to fix Bridgeport and get that organization in order as a landing spot for his prospects.

Firing Roy for the sake of proving he is in charge seems remote to me. If he fires Roy, hopefully he has done his homework on what he needs with this team considering he is going in trying to be competitive this coming season.

shouldn’t the coach and GM share a vision on how the team wants to play?
GM acquires players that fit coaches system
For example, Roy has no use for Mayfield
GM and coach need to be on the same page

 

[SI90]

 

[seafoam]

"We want Syracuse to be in the playoffs"

 

[MJF]

Agreed, considering the fans rely on two has been clickbaiters for info and a kid, I mean time to control the narrative yourself on this one.

Thinking Collins takes on a deeper role, maybe not so public, with the business side and the NHL to help Darche. Collins wants to be involved, he just needed time and wait out Lou. With Lou no longer controlling everything, Collins will get more involved. So, there might not really be a need for a POHO.

Collins and Darche have to school Kimber Auerbach on modern media outreach. Or better yet, let Auerbach go.

 

[MJF]

"We want Syracuse to be in the playoffs"

Lou: We don’t care about the farm team’s record as long as someone down there is NHL ready when needed.

 

[12Dog]

If we were talking about replacements before Lou was let go, I'm thinking Collins/Malkin were as well. Probably going back as far as, I think, December when firing Lou was first discussed.

Timeline?
Scary ownership was letting Lou negotiate with Nelson and Palmieri?!

 

[MJF]

Timeline?
Scary ownership was letting Lou negotiate with Nelson and Palmieri?!

According to Ethan Sears, John Collins would have fired Lou in December, when most teams would make a midseason change in management

 

[12Dog]

According to Ethan Sears, John Collins would have fired Lou in December, when most teams would make a midseason change in management

Why wasn’t he?
The idea of trying to extend Nelson and Palmieri?
Criminal malpractice
Ownership was clearly absent, not involved while Lou was running things
Nelson is an all time Islander to me, for not extending
There is no doubt in my mind Palmieri had a handshake agreement with Lou, let’s see how that plays out

 

[SI90]

"We want Syracuse to be in the playoffs"

Antithesis of “ the AHL results don’t matter”

 

[MJF]

Why wasn’t he?
The idea of trying to extend Nelson and Palmieri?
Criminal malpractice
Ownership was clearly absent, not involved while Lou was running things
Nelson is an all time Islander to me, for not extending
There is no doubt in my mind Palmieri had a handshake agreement with Lou, let’s see how that plays out

Scott Malkin, the majority owner, overruled him.

 

[12Dog]

Scott Malkin, the majority owner, overruled him.

Where was that reported?
Never heard/saw anything ever about Malkin being involved in any hockey personnel decision

 

[Islander Class]

Guess we'll see- but barring some massive clash of philosophies, etc., I don't see where it makes sense for Darche to fire Roy:

-If Roy has an overachieving season- great. Back slaps, and cigars all around.

-If it's a rough season- you're picking early, and often in a deep Draft- and no one will hold it against you if you move on as Roy wasn't your hire...

 

[12Dog]

Lou: We don’t care about the farm team’s record as long as someone down there is NHL ready when needed.

Syracuse in playoffs?
I thought you were talking NCAA lacrosse