Fisherman Files

The Islanders have assigned Semyon Varlamov to the Bridgeport Islanders (AHL) on a long-term injury conditioning loan. Varlamov has not played since November 2024 due to TWO knee replacement surgeries.

#Isles Transaction: Victor Eklund and Liam Foudy have been recalled from Bridgeport. nhl.com/islanders/news…

@nyc_jets It’s not the 24th pick btw. We have a 13 or up pick coming in and would get even more firsts back for him.

@FishermanFiles Dobson was 25 and we had the first overall pick to replace him lol. Good luck replacing Barzal with the 24th pick in the draft

People glaze Barzal way too much. We need to take a serious look in the mirror and say hey, if we can get multiple first round picks and young nhl talent for a guy who isn’t getting the job done for us, then maybe we should do it. #Isles #NHL

@nyc_jets Never said he stinks. Said he’s not getting the job done for us. Teams around the league would pay the price for him which would be multiple first and young nhl talent. Just like Dobson. Wasn’t getting the job done but that was his price around the league. Do better.

@FishermanFiles So you think he stinks, but another team should pay “multiple firsts and young nhl talent” for him? Which one is it 😂

@philzfactz Darche or the people that work for him, the main positives of his tenure have been the prospects we’ve drafted

Darche didn’t do a shred of scouting work in last year’s draft he even said so himself.

The Islanders are top 10 in Goals Against this season and acquired two prospects that are very promising. Cherry on top was Emil Heineman getting over 20G. There’s a lot to critique of about them now, but Noah Dobson’s exit was the best transaction in the past year. #Isles

@NHLlnsider67 @IslesCave He did not cost the game. The offense’s inability to score cost the game. You are not an isles fan and you have zero right to speak on a team you don’t watch on a consistent basis. Care about your own team.

@FishermanFiles @IslesCave “-2” “Pretty decent game” You also conveniently left out how he was in the box for the goal Demidov scored, and basically singlehandedly cost you the game.

This dude is always coming to #Isles twitter to defend any Dobson blow up or to talk about Schaefer lmao

@NHLlnsider67 @IslesCave Schaefer logged 28TOI, 4SOG, 2BLKS, and a -2 tonight. A pretty decent game if you ask me. He’s put up a total of 3 goals(3x as many as Demidov the forward in as many games), 10SOG, 6BLKS, and averaged 25TOI against you guys in 3 games this season. That’s damn good lol.

@FishermanFiles @IslesCave That doesn’t answer my question about how Schaefer was tonight

@NHLlnsider67 @IslesCave Islanders ended islanders season*

@NHLlnsider67 @IslesCave Soft ass slobson didn’t even play tonight. There is no conversation to even be had lol. Buddy is sitting out for 2 weeks for a playoff run. Give me a break😭😭

As much as people want to hate, at least we are getting a top 13 pick in this year’s draft. A draft that is super loaded in the first round with a GM whose biggest upside has been his ability to scout prospects. #Isles #NHL

#Isles HC Pete DeBoer said he'll talk with GM Mathieu Darche about the plan for Tuesday's season finale. Said he'd love to get a look at as many players as possible. "The more guys I can see in game action that are potentially part of this going forward, I think that's important."

The #Isles collapse and failure to make the playoffs is a tough look for rookie GM Mathieu Darche. It is the GM’s job to get this right — not his assistants, not the pro scouting director, the fans, observers or anyone else. This is also not about another failed Yzerplan or any other team because we talk #Isles here. This is on Darche. Welcome to life as a GM. You can debate the prices paid, explain away anything, and come up with all the underlying under the underlying data you want, but it’s pretty simple. Darche’s moves did not work out. The Islanders did not get better. Down the stretch when facing teams needing a win as badly as them, the NYI fell short. Schenn accumulated points on top lines against the Floridas and Torontos and the spirit may be willing, but his defense was weak. Palat — a scratch tonight and almost certain buyout after his bizarre acquisition while playing badly for NJ — and Soucy were bad and should not be back. “Cups” and “leadership” meant nothing in those big games. Remember when the Islanders produced that beautiful footage of the team skating outside in Minnesota, hosted by Anders Lee? Was anyone on that day thinking, What this team really needs is more leadership? Schenn is under contract at 35 for two more years, JGP was re-signed for three. Horvat should move up to captain. What becomes of the admirable, loyal, future NYI team HoFer Lee? Anders deserves whatever is best for him and his family. Almost everything is recoverable in the NHL with supportive ownership. The Islanders have it and players and coaches want to be here. In the end, this can be a blip. But for 40 years I’ve watched very smart and confident people get slightly or extremely dim when they were in the GM chair. It’s a humbling job, and even though the Peter DeBoer hire was the right move, Darche looked humbled while erratically explaining his decision to fire Patrick Roy. Darche needs to learn from this. I have a fair amount of faith that he will. I also believe DeBoer will make him a better GM. DeBoer will essentially serve also as a PoHO without the title, without ownership having to pay someone even worse for that job like the previously considered Ken Holland. Lou Lamoriello remains under contract as a consultant to Scott Malkin and is a DeBoer advocate. The Islanders have enough good people around, and Darche is likely to make a few more staff changes. Despite the team’s dismal ending with losing 3-0 and 4-1 on home ice, Schaefer and Sorokin provided highlights, hope and joy for most of the season. The prospect pool is solid. The Islanders should be very good next season. With a new coach and addition of some youth, it should not be difficult to clean the stain from the end of this one. As I said a few days ago, they’ll be 16 games over NHL .500 or better around next year’s trade deadline. For the Islanders to legitimately contend in 2-3 years, however, Darche needs to be much, much better.

2025-26 is the first season that the #Isles, #NYR, and #NJDevils have ALL missed the playoffs at the same time. Tri-state blunder.

No playoffs, we move. Need Schaefer goal on Tuesday night against Carolina to solidify himself in first place for rookie goal record. #Isles #NHL

And with that, the 2025-2026 #Isles season has come to an end. #NHL #LGI

#Isles last way in the playoffs: PHI max 1 point in their final 2 games. CAPS 0 points in their final game. CBJ max 3 points in their final 2 games. It’s likely Debover. #NHL #GI

@mypetrock_ @stefen_rosner No Philly has to get a max of 1 point. If Philly gets anything more than 1 point in the last 2, we are out.

@FishermanFiles @stefen_rosner Columbus has to lose tonight, Isles have to win both games, Philly has to get a max of 3 points from their last 2 games, and then Columbus would have to beat Washington in regulation on Tuesday lol.

#ALLCAPS defeat #LetsGoPens 3-0. If #CBJ beats #NHLBruins in any fashion tonight, #Isles will be eliminated.