"Late last night, the Islanders acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Ondřej Palát from the New Jersey Devils, sending Max Tsyplakov the other way while also receiving a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth. No salary retained. One year left at $6 million. Is it perfect? No, but it is very manageable and won't be an anchor that precludes this team from getting better next summer."
"The move fits squarely within Darche's vision for the Islanders, a group he never viewed as rebuild material. He saw a playoff-caliber roster that had circumstances turn against it last season, not a foundation that needed to be blown up. Add the rapid emergence of 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer and a Metropolitan Division that has the Isles battling the Penguins, Flyers, Caps for a playoff spot, things changed and expectations followed."
"The Islanders are not suddenly favorites to win a Stanley Cup. Even with elite goaltending, this roster does not resemble a juggernaut. But Darche understands something that resonates deeply in hockey rooms: belief is built through action, not patience alone. When meaningful games are within reach, the message cannot be neutral. Adding Palát, and earlier, defenseman Carson Soucy, signals that merely staying afloat was not enough. The players earned support. The fan base earned ambition."
Mathieu Darche executed a decisive trade acquiring two-time Stanley Cup champion Ondřej Palát from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Max Tsyplakov, plus a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Palát carries one year remaining at $6 million with no salary retained, a manageable contract that preserves summer flexibility. Darche views the Islanders as a playoff-capable group rather than a rebuild, bolstered by the emergence of 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer and divisional competition that elevates expectations. Earlier addition of Carson Soucy and the Palát trade signal organizational ambition to convert opportunity into belief and results.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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