Islanders’ Darche Says He’s Hearing Calls, Not Considering Moving Barzal or Horvat

The New York Islanders are drawing a hard line when rival teams call about two of their most proven forwards, Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. According to reporting tied to the NHL Draft and what clubs perceive to be organizational uncertainty, Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche has listened to inquiries but is not indicating interest in trading either player. The message, in substance, is that their team-friendly deals remain too valuable to shop, especially with the salary landscape continuing to inflate across the league.

Both Barzal and Horvat are described as locked into their current contracts for five more seasons, which is central to the Islanders’ argument that the market would not produce a comparable replacement cost at today’s price tags. The Hockey News, citing commentary from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, reported that teams reached out about New York’s top forwards and that Friedman confirmed those calls occurred, while also making clear that the Islanders were not moving the pair.

The reported contract economics are the backbone of the Islanders stance. The Hockey News framing says the Islanders’ best forwards are under contract for cap hits that are far below what comparable production costs in the current market. The report specifically references Horvat’s deal in terms of “5x$8.5” and Barzal’s in terms of “5x$9+,” with the implication that teams would not be able to replicate that bargain level once those numbers rise further in contract negotiations for similar-caliber players.

That bargain, the report adds, is why the Islanders view any prospective trade as an unwanted disruption rather than a roster reset opportunity. The Hockey News writes that Darche and New York look at losing either player as opening “huge holes” in the lineup that would be extremely expensive to fill. In this view, the Islanders would not be able to rebuild those roles at anything close to the same cap efficiency, even after accounting for the broader league trend of higher salaries.

New York’s offseason planning, as characterized by The Hockey News, also points to a controlled retool rather than a break-apart of its core. The report says one of the summer’s major takeaways is that the Islanders plan to retool around Matthew Schaefer, leaving room for a pipeline of young prospects and a broader roster turnover that is expected to accelerate in 2027. In that context, keeping Barzal and Horvat functions less like a win-now bet and more like a stabilizing strategy while the next wave of players develops.

The Islanders’ flexibility is part of the backdrop to the reported decision not to trade. The Hockey News report states that Darche said the team expects to have more than $40 million in cap space next summer, which could allow New York to address needs without sacrificing its most reliable NHL offense. It is also where rumored “surprising” interest reportedly comes in, because teams often test the availability of veteran talent when they believe a club might be adjusting its long-term direction heading into the NHL Draft.

What to watch next is whether the Islanders’ stance holds steady as the market continues to evaluate cap structures and contract values leaguewide. If the reports are accurate, New York’s follow-through will show how seriously the front office protects its salary-floor assets, not just on paper but in how it responds to continued trade chatter. For fans, the practical consequence is straightforward: Barzal and Horvat appear positioned to remain central to the Islanders’ immediate lineup plans, while New York tries to grow the rest of its roster around them.