Matthew Schaefer And The Islanders Start Offseason Strong

Matthew Schaefer And The Islanders Start Offseason Strong

Matthew Schaefer doesn’t need to play an NHL game to be one of the easiest athletes to root for. As someone who was in UBS Arena last Friday, I can tell you Islanders nation will be behind him unconditionally. The Erie Otters defenseman represents what will hopefully become a new golden age of Isles hockey. Faster, stronger, and more skilled than years past. So far, the man behind the vision, is doing just about everything right.

Mathieu Darche, former assistant GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, is the man ownership believed could follow in the steps of Lou Lamoriello. Right away, Darche had some major decisions to make. Aside from taking Schaefer first overall, defenseman Noah Dobson was an RFA. He had some inconsistent years, but had a big number in mind for an extension. Darche held firm and did not allow Dobson’s agent to bully him. Neither side could find common ground, so he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. Despite being put in a hard place, Darche did not hesitate to send a player who seemingly played hardball out of town.

Injection Of Talent

Montreal sent back young forward Emil Heineman and the 16th and 17th picks of Friday’s draft. Loaded with assets, Darche tried to push for BC star and Long Island native James Hagens in the Top-10 of the First Round. However, when there was no deal, he stood firm and went to work. After taking Schaefer, he added two prospects that many considered fell out of the lottery. Swedish winger Victor Eklund and Canadian defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson represented what many experts called a haul for Darche and the Islanders.

On Day Two, Darche continued to add solid value with their remaining picks. However, all of the selections seemed to share a common ethos of player. Darche identified players that are fast, possess a very high motor, and physicality that makes them difficult to play against. Any hockey fan over the past two years know how hard it is to play against the Florida Panthers when the chips are on the table. It is clear that the Isles’ new executive watched too and wants to emulate that. It’s a refreshing change of pace from Lamoriello who usually picked over-agers with little potential to develop. In two or three years, there could be a real surplus of NHL-ready talent working their way up the Isles’ system.

Free Agency Frenzy

Many Islanders fans would have probably been content with a really strong draft and letting the chips fall where they may in 2025-2026. However, that’s not what happened on July 1st. Darche made a number of signings, including journeyman goalie David Rittich and veteran forward Jonathan Drouin. It’s worth noting that there is plenty of French-Canadian DNA on the Island as the head coach, GM, and forwards JG Pageau and Anthony Duclair all hail from Quebec. Drouin represents another extension of the new ideology of playing fast. He also excels on the powerplay, which is a revelation for a team that had some of the worst special teams in recent memory.

It seemed pretty routine from there. RFAs Simon Holmstrom, Alex Romanov, and the aforementioned Heineman all got new deals. Their AHL team in Bridgeport got a boatload of talent and a new coach that should bring them out of the basement.

However, there was a cherry on top.

The top international free agent this Summer is named Maxim Shabanov. The Russian winger scored at over a point-per-game in the KHL last season. Lamoriello worked his magic and added Max Tsyplakov last year, who was a solid middle-six winger. However, many believed Shabanov was in a different class. Some have not hesitated to compare him to superstar Kirill Kaprizov. For weeks, it was assumed he would end up with the Flyers, and teams like the Islanders, Rangers, and Utah Mammoth were on the outside looking in.

But Darche did it again.

Elliotte Friedman confirmed what was a very pleasant but incredibly promising surprise this evening:

Hearing Maxim Shabanov, a sought-after KHL free agent, is signing with the Islanders

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 2, 2025

Now, they can rest on Long Island. The new look front office deserves a round of applause for the incredible work they’ve done over the last seven days.

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Mathieu Darche. Matthew Schaefer. Maxim Shabanov. A new era is rolling out quickly on Long Island. Fans should be ecstatic, because for the first time in a long time, the future is very bright for the New York Islanders.

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