Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2025-26: Welcome to the Darche Side

[Throttle]

You make a lot of sense. You know what also would've made a hell of a lot more sense too? Seeing some kinda tweet last night from Elliotte Friedman that went something like:

"Looks like Chicago may be sending the #4 to Long Island..."

And then have it come out that Mat Barzal was traded to Chicago for the 4th overall.

Would've made a hell of a lot more sense to everyone on planet Earth than the Byram deal did. I guarantee you ask a Chicago fan would you have rather traded the 4th for Barzal or Byram, the answer probably isn't close.

God now I just annoyed myself that this didn't come to fruition.

Byram was traded for pick 4OA that once upon a time was Makar. Wowzer.

 

[Glorydays22]

Byram was traded for pick 4OA that once upon a time was Makar. Wowzer.

Davidson is horrible....clearly a GM worth taking advantage of...

 

[NYI365]

It would have been nice to at least here reports that Isles and Chicago were talking. Don't care if Darche started the conversation or Chicago. It was a natural fit.

I could be wrong, but I just feel since there haven't been ANY reports by any media that the isles are talking to anyone (sorry, they talked to the Blues again). It's only that they are listening...really??

Get your ass out there and start rubbing elbows with GMs...We all know we don't have many trading assets outside of Pelech and Barzal. That's why he needs to be more aggressive. Even if it's just dumping players....Get out there Darche be f***ing creative.

Yea truthfully I can't tell what he's doing, if he's got a Lou Cone of Silence and a move like the Horvat trade comes outta nowhere or if he just sits on his laurels.

I'll tell u though, unless the 13th is packaged to bring in a quality, quality U24 player (I'm talking higher than Romanov quality, who I love but still think was an overpay at the price of the 13th overall at the time because I believe that pick ultimately turned into Frank Nazar), I don't want the pick moved then.

Just continue stockpiling young talent, and move whatever else you can for futures. Pelech's value will never be at his highest than it is right now, this very second. They really really should move him, or if they don't want to move him Pulock should be moved at the very least for a solid return.

 

[NYI365]

Davidson is horrible....clearly a GM worth taking advantage of...

It's funny before this time yesterday I didn't have that opinion of him at all really, in fact I actually thought he may be too cautious/patient. That all changed in a night lmao

 

[Throttle]

Yea truthfully I can't tell what he's doing, if he's got a Lou Cone of Silence and a move like the Horvat trade comes outta nowhere or if he just sits on his laurels.

I'll tell u though, unless the 13th is packaged to bring in a quality, quality U24 player (I'm talking higher than Romanov quality, who I love but still think was an overpay at the price of the 13th overall at the time because I believe that pick ultimately turned into Frank Nazar), I don't want the pick moved then.

Just continue stockpiling young talent, and move whatever else you can for futures. Pelech's value will never be at his highest than it is right now, this very second. They really really should move him, or if they don't want to move him Pulock should be moved at the very least for a solid return.

The messaging is off. Darche hasn’t said anything about believing in this crew. Yet made moves that showed he did. Stockpiling would have meant trading JGK, at least, at the deadline, but that didn’t happen.

There’s either something more coming or this franchise is in for a world of hurt.

 

[NYI365]

The messaging is off. Darche hasn’t said anything about believing in this crew. Yet made moves that showed he did. Stockpiling would have meant trading JGK, at least, at the deadline, but that didn’t happen.

There’s either something more coming or this franchise is in for a world of hurt.

I'm praying that the moves during the season/TDL were strictly ownership pushing the envelope as a one-off and not a sign of things to come.

The only way I can see somewhat of the logic there in hindsight, and I've been on the record throughout various threads about the decisions to push for Palat, Soucy and Schenn, is that Ledecky and Malkin saw a ripe opportunity with the Devils and Rangers both falling face first last season and Schaefer emerging as the Boy Wonder to be the only show in town in the playoffs.

They saw it as a huge opportunity to add to a surprisingly competitive team to go all in for the playoffs, to continue to show off the organization, the arena, the Wonder Kid, and the new ritzy shopping center at Belmont Park on a national level during playoff games.

And I get that, as a business decision to a degree.

But it can only happen once, as it proved futile with the entire team imploding over the last month of the season.

And that's where now we get to see who the real Matthew Darche is. Is he the savvy GM we thought we were getting when he traded Dobson? Or is he a mouthpiece for ownership, or in over his head? We shall see.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

It's funny before this time yesterday I didn't have that opinion of him at all really, in fact I actually thought he may be too cautious/patient. That all changed in a night lmao

It weirdly feels like Snow panicking and trading for Vanek, just to make any move at all lol.

 

[boredmale]

Byram was traded for pick 4OA that once upon a time was Makar. Wowzer.

Griffin Reinhart was also picked 4th. lol

 

[doublechili]

Honestly, is there anything worse than having a poor reputation at something, and then having to try and change that reputation while outbidding several other teams for a player you really want?

Having one's toenails pulled out one by one with pliers?

 

[beach]

Uhh yea since 1990, doesn't mean I bring it up and revert back to it every f***ing post. Different era, different team, different ownership, apples and oranges

Get back to me when your in your mid 60s if this all continues on and on for decades.

 

[beach]

It would have been nice to at least here reports that Isles and Chicago were talking. Don't care if Darche started the conversation or Chicago. It was a natural fit.

I could be wrong, but I just feel since there haven't been ANY reports by any media that the isles are talking to anyone (sorry, they talked to the Blues again). It's only that they are listening...really??

Get your ass out there and start rubbing elbows with GMs...We all know we don't have many trading assets outside of Pelech and Barzal. That's why he needs to be more aggressive. Even if it's just dumping players....Get out there Darche be f***ing creative.

I've not seen the Isles mentioned anywhere. Absolutely nowhere, except Hockeybuzz lists us as the favorite to sign Anders...

 

[saintunspecified]

Oh look, just like yesterday

 

[xECK29x]

Get back to me when your in your mid 60s if this all continues on and on for decades.

Find something else to do

 

[periferal]

Having one's toenails pulled out one by one with pliers?

Well I mean...I guess so?

 

[Chockey22]

Wow, a quiet week for Darche and everyone on here loses their minds and starts making up narratives. Like, that Darche already has a poor reputation in trades and can be taken advantage of, or that no one wants any player currently on the team. Both are completely ridiculous and fabricated narratives that fans dream up for some bizarre reason.

I've been critical of Darche for his moves, and seeming lack of a coherent plan, but some of these criticisms are a bit much.

It's been pretty clear his plan is to run it back next year. I don't agree with it, but it doesn't mean he is viewed as a soft touch or that the players here aren't highly valued.

 

[seafoam]

1. Don't see Buffalo taking that deal
2. Byram is not worth 10M, more like 6 maybe 7 M tops