New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky is as energetic as he is honest about the importance of Friday night and the lasting impact this one moment could have on the franchise. "The future is now for the New York Islanders,

LOS ANGELES – Mathieu Darche had nothing to do with the Islanders winning the NHL Draft Lottery despite just a 3.5% chance to do so, as that happened almost three weeks before he was hired as general manager/executive vice president on May 23.

Barely a month into his new role, first-time GM Mathieu Darche has the opportunity to add a young, NHL-ready cornerstone to a team that was just two points out of contention before collapsing down