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Islanders Anxiety – Episode 339 – Touched Every Emotion

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People that I hate are telling me that these guys are good.

Mike and Dan recap a busy weekend of trades, a draft, signings and some clarity in the Islanders direction.

There’s so much to discuss that it’s easy to forget that the Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer – the No. 1 rated prospect in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, a singular defenseman and an exemplary human – first overall. Schaefer’s introduction to Long Island has already been an event, and he hasn’t even played a game for them yet. Had they simply walked out of Friday’s draft with just him, it would have been considered a win.

But before the draft, GM Mathieu Darche made a huge decision, trading defenseman Noah Dobson to Montreal for a pair of first round picks and depth forward Emil Heineman. The move shocked even those who expected it and wasn’t met with universal praise from Islanders fans, who saw the team’s best blueliner leave for futures and sign with the Canadiens for eight years. As we’ve learned more, it seems as if the player had a lot of leverage and Darche did the best he could.

The trade also set fans up for what they thought was a second shocking move. And while drafting James Hagens didn’t materialize, Darche did use the Habs’ picks to get two highly-touted prospects in winger Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, as well as even more rated prospects in Day 2. They’ve been getting great marks from the Prospect Perverts and Draft Grifters, which is better than getting raked over the coals. More than anything, it means that development has become a focus again after too many years of stitching the ship back together and hoping it floats.

In the last segment, we discuss two Bridgeport signings (one very surprising), the team’s Restricted Free Agents outlook and take a stab at some Unrestricted Free Agents they might take a run at.

There’s a lot to digest before Tuesday at noon when free agency begins.

REFERENCES

  • The biggest news of the weekend: Liam Fouty and Julien Gauthier are back for Bridgeport!
  • Just kidding. Everything else you need to know is on the front page of this very website. For something new, here’s Matthew Schaefer on Good Morning America on Sunday.

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PLUGS!

  • Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.
  • The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.
  • Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.
  • Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).

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