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.

The New York Islanders are set to make the first pick in the NHL draft Friday night in Los Angeles. New general manager Mathieu Darche, just a month into his role, looks forward to landing a cornerstone player to help rebuild after the team missed the playoffs twice in four years.

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