NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Tampa Bay Lightning Defenceman Victor Hedman celebrates a goal with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Islanders’ Darche Can Draft the Next Kucherov, Stamkos, or Hedman: Which One Should He Take?

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mike Fink | Last updated May 29, 2025 10:25 AM ET

The New York Islanders and their newly hired general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche will look to build the team with the same model that the Tampa Bay Lightning were constructed. It starts with the top pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which the Islanders own thanks to the lottery.

The Lightning drafted Steven Stamkos with the first pick in the 2008 Draft. Then they selected Victor Hedman at two in the 2009 Draft. It helped kickstart a modern dynasty a decade later. Darche wasn’t around when the Lightning made those selections, but he’ll try to do the same starting with this draft and turn the Islanders into a juggernaut in a few seasons.

The top two names in this draft are Michael Misa and Matthew Schaefer. James Hagens also has a good case to go at number one, considering the skills he has and his roots on Long Island. Darche can only pick one. The question is which player he’ll take, and which one allows him to turn the Islanders into a contender down the road.

Hagens & the Argument to Bet on Him

It’s hard to compare anyone to Nikita Kucherov, a Hart Trophy winner with five 100-point seasons who is one of the best players in the game. He’s one of the few wingers that a team can build around. Hagens might end up on the wing at some point in his career, but he’ll be drafted as a center, another knock on the comparison. Hagens, with his skills and style of play, will more likely be the next Jack Hughes or Logan Cooley, both great players but a tier below Kucherov.

That said, consider the big red flag for Hagens. It’s his size, as he’s only 170 pounds and can get pushed around easily at the NHL level, especially when the game slows down and space is hard to find. Size never stopped Kucherov from becoming a difference-maker year in and year out, as the 180-pound forward always plays well in spite of the physical play surrounding him.

Hagens has the explosive playmaking ability to make the other skaters on his line better. He might move to the wing, but like Kucherov, he can become a player to build around. Darche taking him would be a reach with the top pick, yet it’s worth noting that Kucherov fell to the second round and was overlooked despite his talent. Hagens looks like the player in this draft who could make a lot of teams regret passing on him.

Misa Filling a Stamkos Role

Misa and Stamkos appear like opposites at first glance. Stamkos was always the sure thing or the safe bet in the forward unit, someone who would consistently score 40 goals and add 40 assists to the offense. Misa is a high-upside player who might end up being a top 10 player in the NHL. Diving deeper into both skaters, it’s easy to see how they are similar building blocks.

Stamkos back in the day would take over games and do it all, from creating scoring chances to finding the back of the net and stepping up defensively. When the Lightning were at their best, he was the driving force from the center position who could do anything but added that extra spark on offense. Misa is the same with the upside on the offensive end of the ice, standing out.

There’s a good argument for Darche to take Misa, knowing he can become the next Stamkos. The Islanders have a new wave of young forwards on the way, with Cole Eiserman and Calum Ritchie impressing at the amateur level and looking to join the NHL roster in the coming seasons. Misa would be the center they build around to make the whole thing work.

Schaefer Becoming the Next Hedman

Kucherov and Stamkos were great players for the Lightning and essential to the back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Hedman was the glue. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020 by taking over games at both ends of the ice, and when the offense stalled, he was the playmaker to put them over the top. Hedman did the same thing the next year to help the Lightning repeat (Andrei Vasilevskiy was the leader of the 2021 run with his dominant play in the net).

Schaefer has all the skills to become the next great two-way defenseman. At 17 years old, he was the best skater on the ice for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and along with his offense standing out, he stepped up defensively. The Islanders will look a lot better at both ends of the ice with Schaefer on their blue line.

There’s a classic debate when it comes to team-building about which position is more valuable, the top-line center or the top-pair defenseman. In previous eras, the answer was often the center. However, watching how Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Zach Werenski take over games, it’s easy to see how the defense position has not only changed but also become most valuable in the NHL. Schaefer would not only play that role, but he’s the most talented player on the board, and it’s why Darche has a good case to take him.

Who Should Darche Take?

There’s still plenty of time to overthink the top pick, something that’s already happened here, here, and here. This is another angle to approach the draft through the Lightning lens, something Darche might have, but there are no guarantees. After all, he might ignore the Lightning blueprint altogether and build the Islanders in his vision.

The best bet based on the early indications is to take Schaefer, who will fix a lot of issues with the Islanders. At the same time, Misa can be the focal point of a great roster and, particularly, a dynamic top six. It’s a tough decision for Darche and one that will set the tone for his GM tenure.

Who do you think the Islanders should take at one? Let us know in the comments section below!