A move to Long Island could put Pavel Zacha back in familiar territory.
The Islanders just brought in a former Bruins executive in Evan Gold, and that connection alone could matter. Gold spent the past couple of years as Boston’s assistant general manager and also ran the Bruins’ AHL affiliate before taking the same job with New York. He also got a front-row look at Zacha’s best season, when the Czech forward set career highs with 30 goals and 65 points.
That kind of familiarity is why Zacha has popped up as a possible Islanders target. New York’s front office now includes someone who knows exactly what Zacha brings, and that matters for a player whose value is tied so much to fit.
Islanders fans who haven’t followed Boston every night may want to slow the hype a bit, though. Zacha wasn’t riding shotgun with David Pastrnak for a big chunk of this past season.
Bruins head coach Marco Sturm kept the Czechs apart, and Zacha helped drive a second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson that played a major role in Boston’s surprising playoff run.
That production wasn’t just nice to have - it helped carry the Bruins back to the postseason after a one-year absence. Arvidsson, who was described as being on his last legs in the NHL, even landed a career-saving two-year deal in Detroit after spending the year on Zacha’s wing. Pastrnak gets the spotlight in Boston, but Zacha proved he can be more than a sidekick.
That’s exactly why the Islanders make sense as a landing spot. Their forward group has some of the same shape as Boston’s, even if it doesn’t include a player on Pastrnak’s level.
Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal and a returning Kyle Palmieri give New York plenty of offensive ability, and Zacha wouldn’t need to be the top scorer there. He’d be doing what he does best: filling a supporting role and making the whole thing work.
With the Islanders narrowly missing the playoffs during the 2025-26 season, it’s not hard to see the appeal. Another year of growth from Matthew Schaefer, plus another possible 65-point season from Zacha, could be enough to push them back into the bracket.
Some fans will always want the splashier name. But Zacha might be the cleaner fit.
In Other News...
Islanders Add Proven Front Office Voice To Darches New Look Staff
The Islanders front office makeover picked up another significant piece this week with the hiring of Evan Gold as assistant general manager and general manager of their AHL affiliate in Hamilton. Gold arrives with a long run in the Bruins organization, where he spent the past several seasons in hockey operations and helped oversee Providence, giving New York another experienced voice as it continues to reshape the structure around the NHL roster and its development pipeline.
Gold takes over a post that now has a much different look after Chris Lamoriello had served as the Hamilton clubs first general manager. For the Islanders, the move adds a familiar kind of organizational value: someone with a track record in one of the leagues steadier systems, and a clear role in tying the NHL club to its newest minor league setup. The broader significance may come later, but for now it is another sign that the Islanders are building this staff with a deliberate, experienced hand. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Add A Rising Executive With A Big Role In Their Future
The Islanders have turned to a familiar type of hire for a new era, bringing in Evan Gold as assistant general manager and general manager of their new AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Hammers. Gold arrives with plenty of experience from a long run in Boston, where he spent 12 seasons and worked his way into major responsibilities with the Bruins and their AHL club in Providence.
For New York, the move is about more than just filling a front-office seat. Gold is expected to be involved in all areas of hockey operations, from player development to roster strategy, giving the Islanders another hand in shaping the pipeline that feeds the NHL club. With a new affiliate to build out and long-term decisions to make, the hiring adds another layer to how the organization wants to manage its future. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Just Showed How Mathieu Darche Wants This Team Run
The Islanders made another front-office move Thursday, bringing in Evan Gold as assistant general manager and general manager of their AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Ontario. Gold arrives with a rsum that includes work in the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals organizations, and he had been running the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence, a job that puts a premium on development and day-to-day roster management.
Chris Lamoriello is staying in place as one of the clubs other assistant GMs, with his emphasis remaining on scouting and player personnel decisions. Taken together, the structure says plenty about how Mathieu Darche appears to want this operation run, with a clearer division of labor between development, evaluation and the big-picture decisions that shape the roster. [Read more 🡒]