Mathieu Darche has preached patience since taking over as general manager of the New York Islanders. The Athletic's annual contract efficiency rankings suggest patience may be required for another reason. Using its model to evaluate every NHL contract, The Athletic ranked the Islanders 28th out of 32 teams, a slight improvement from last year's 29th-place finish. "No team has more D-level deals than the Islanders," The Athletic wrote. For now, however, The Athletic's model paints an unflattering picture of Darche's first offseason.