Just one day after being traded away from the New Jersey Devils, this veteran forward scored his first goal for the New York Islanders en route to their win over the New York Rangers.

The other reason is the Olympic break itself – Feb. 6-24 – which Darche hopes will allow Palat and Soucy to settle in and acclimate to the Islanders. There will be some additional practice time before the Islanders resume play on Feb. 26, a luxury not usually afforded to mid-season acquisitions.

While the Rangers are retooling, the Islanders are building to be a competitive group in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Tuesday, the team went out and acquired Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils, adding some veteran scoring.

The NHL slows back down tonight with just three games on the docket. The San Jose Sharks saved me from getting shut out last night as the Red Wings lost to the

Expert recap and game analysis of the New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers NHL game from January 26, 2026 on ESPN.

New York Islanders (29-19-5, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. New York Rangers (22-26-6, in the Metropolitan Division)

Snapshots from the New York Islanders' win over the New York Rangers on January 28th, 2026. Photo credit: Dennis DaSilva, Sam Johnston, Emeline Malkin/New York Islanders and Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images

New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche made two notable trades this week, adding Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat from rivals.