The New York Islanders expect to keep the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL draft despite trade interest. The Islanders are likely to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
\"I\'m not trading the 1, but you look at everything, right?\" Darche said on a video call with reporters Tuesday. \"Teams are calling you about various options. Every time you hear something might be going on, you call a team, and my job is to do my due diligence and see what\'s out there. Every single day, I\'m trying to improve the New York Islanders.
\"I can\'t tell you all my secrets,\" Darche said. \"... We all know the talent at this point. You\'re researching more the character and personalities. You are just trying to get as much information. There\'s a few guys we like, and I do have an idea at this point, because it\'s in four days. But we\'re going to keep doing our due diligence all the way through Friday.\"
The Islanders pick No. 1 ahead of the San Jose Sharks who own picks No. 1 and No. 2.
\"He\'s an impressive young man,\" Darche said of Schaefer. \"He\'s a hell of a player. He\'s a great person. But having said that, there\'s a lot of other kids at the draft that we met that are very impressive. That\'s why I say, regardless of who we pick on Friday, we\'ll get a special player that\'s going to help the New York Islanders fairly quickly.\"
Via ESPN