New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche signals openness to bold trades ahead of NHL deadline

New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche has opened up recently about bold trades ahead of the March 6 NHL deadline, including potentially moving first-round picks to boost the playoff-contending roster. The New York Islanders have already made a few trades this season; however, it doesn't look like they're done ahead of the March 6 deadline. It is important to mention that the team has recently added two significant players to their roster, Ondrej Palat and Carson Soucy.Palat’s trade has paid immediate dividends to the team after the veteran forward scored a goal and added an assist in his Isles debut, a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. With the squad now 29-19-5 and third place in the Metropolitan Division, Darche admitted he isn't afraid to make another splash ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline, but he will make the move only if it makes sense for the club. New York Islandersgeneral manager Mathieu Darche has reaffirmed his willingness to pursue further roster moves before the NHL trade deadline. He says that "nothing's off the table" if it strengthens the team’s roster, and that leads to the club’s playoff push. Darche has emphasized that he is in talks with other teams and would consider trading a first-round pick if the deal truly improves the squad, drawing on his experience with Tampa Bay's GM Julien BriseBois.Speaking to hockey insider Frank Seravalli on Thursday, the General Manager said, “Every day I'm talking to different teams, if there's an opportunity to make a move to improve the team, I'll do it."He further added, “Someone this morning asked me when I did the local media, ‘Would you move one of your first round picks?' If it makes sense, I would. First of all, I worked with [Tampa Bay Lightning GM] Julien BriseBois. So you know I don't mind moving first-round picks.”Darche continued, “If there's a deal that makes sense in moving one of those picks, I will. Is there one right now I'm working on? Can something come up? Possibly. I'll keep kicking tires and see, maybe we do something else, and maybe we don't, but it all depends.”The GM also further stressed that these trade deals will not be done for the sake of activities, but only those that enhance the team, amid cap flexibility. He stated, “I won't make another trade just to make a trade; it has to make sense. I know it's a generic answer, but the reality of it is true, and I'm sure every team is the same way, like, you don't make a change for the sake of change, you want to make a change that improves your team. That's what we've done so far, and we'll see how it goes in the next few weeks.”The Islanders are meanwhile sitting at third in the Metropolitan Division with a 27-19-5 record through 51 games (59 points), rebounding from last year's playoff miss. Most of the credit goes to defenseman Matthew Schaefer and a solid center core of Bo Horvat, Mat Barzal, and JG Pageau. It would be interesting to see if the New York Islanders acquire another potential player among the trade rumors.