New York Islanders general manager and EVP Mathieu Darche had plenty to unpack Wednesday morning before the team’s season opener in Toronto, and the biggest update centered on Mathew Barzal.
Barzal is expected to begin skating this weekend, or early next week, according to Darche. From there, the team will watch how his knee responds, especially the inflammation, but Darche sounded encouraged by the progress. Barzal has not skated in two weeks and missed training camp, yet Darche believes he can ramp back up quickly.
“We felt that last week he's had really, really good progress,” Darche said. “Barzal is not a guy that needs three weeks to get ready… You give him a few practices and he’ll be good to go.”
Darche also explained why the Islanders brought in Logan Stanley on a one-year deal Sunday. One factor was the decision to move Matthew Schaefer from the left side to the right side on defense, which created an opening on the left. The Islanders wanted a left-shot option there rather than forcing a right-handed defenseman onto his off side.
Stanley’s size and edge mattered too. At 6’7 and 231 pounds, he brings a heavy presence, and his resume includes 24 NHL fights - 23 in the regular season and one in the postseason.
“We felt it was a better fit,” Darche said. “You also look at the truculence, a lot of it has shifted to the East this year. With Matthew on the team and another young guy like Eklund, we want to make sure that we can handle some of that.”
Darche was just as upbeat about what he saw from Cole Eiserman and Kashawn Aitcheson in camp, calling it “an extremely positive camp for both of them.”
He made clear that both players would likely benefit from time in the American Hockey League, where they can play every day instead of bouncing in and out of the NHL lineup.
“They both showed that they need time, right?” Darche said.
“So, is that time going to be in a month, two months later after Christmas or next year? We don't know, but let's see how they go.
They left a great impression. That's why they played so many games in preseason.”
Eiserman, in particular, stood out to Darche because of how much his game has grown since last season. Darche said that when he watched Eiserman at BU last year, he saw areas that needed work. He liked the shot, but wanted more than a player who waited for the puck.
“When I saw Cole play at BU last year, I felt there was things he needed to work in his game,” Darche said. “He’s an elite shooter, but he was waiting for the puck lot at BU.
We challenged him when he went to Bridgeport at the end of the year. Like now he's forechecking.”
The Islanders are also in the middle of adjusting to Pete DeBoer’s defensive structure, and Darche acknowledged there are still habits to clean up in the zone.
“There's habits to break in the way we were defending,” Darche said. “As soon as we get stuck in our zone, we get tied into man-on-man, and that's not what we want. There'll be some adjustment, but I'm confident the guys will get it quick.”
DeBoer has said it took the San Jose Sharks until around Christmas to fully run his system when he arrived in 2015-16, and Darche said he isn’t expecting everything to be perfect right away. He noted that changing muscle memory and building consistency takes time, though he’s been pleased with what he’s seen in video work with the coaches and the players.
Simon Holmstrom is another player Darche believes has a real opening to move up the lineup. Holmstrom will start the season on the top line with Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri, giving him a chance to add more offense.
“The last two years, he basically scored 20 goals, playing mostly on the third line,” Darche said. “He's got a skill set. We are giving him opportunity to become a top-six player.”
Holmstrom scored 19 goals last season and 20 the year before, and much of that came while playing with JG Pageau. He also scored five game-winning goals last season, including two in overtime. Darche said that time with Pageau helped shape Holmstrom’s defensive game, and now the winger has earned a shot to prove he belongs higher in the lineup.
“Most people they don't come in and you’re a top-six [forward]. You earn your way,” Darche said. “Right now, Homer has an opportunity to try to establish himself as a top-six player.”
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