The New York Islanders could have a bit of a conundrum on their hands. Their star rookie Matthew Schaefer was burrowed his way into the conversation for Team Canada’s 2026 Olympic roster. 

According to Elliotte Friedman in his 32 Thoughts Blog, Schaefer has made the team as a “late consideration.” On the surface, that’s a tremendous honor. After all, how many 18-year-olds can leapfrog established veterans for such a coveted role?

While it would be fantastic to see Schaefer on Team Canada, even if he doesn’t play a major role, the Islanders may want to think twice about letting Schaefer head to the Olympics in 2026. 

The main reason lies in giving Schaefer some time off to recover for what could be an Islanders’ playoff run this season. Schaefer has played in all 26 games this season. And he’s averaging over 25 minutes a night. On November 28 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Schaefer hit the ice for over 28 minutes.

Sure, he’s 18. I was 18 years old a very long time ago. And while such physical efforts were hard, bouncing back wasn’t that difficult. Be that as it may, the Islanders would do well to encourage Schaefer to stay behind. The rest will be crucial for the remainder of the season.

There’s another compelling reason for the Islanders nudging Schaefer away from the Olympics: His age. Schaefer is 18 now and would be roughly 22 in 2030. So, he has the luxury of playing in two or even three more Olympic tourneys beyond 2026.

Unlike players such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews, will be their first crack at the Olympics. They’re pushing 30 and may see the roster sports challenged in the coming Olympic cycles. 

That’s why Matthew Schaefer can afford to wait.

Islanders made right call in keeping Schaefer out of World Juniors

The Islanders made the right call by keeping Matthew Schaefer out of the World Juniors. He’s still technically eligible to play during the 2026 edition of the tourney. However, the Isles nixed the idea of Schaefer playing, TSN reported. 

That was the right call as keeping Schaefer out of that tournament would allow him to focus on his NHL role. Plus, Schaefer is just too good for the World Juniors at this point.

One of the arguments for letting Schaefer play in the World Juniors hinged on the Islanders having a bad season. In particular, the rhetoric was that playing a meaningful role in an international tournament would be a nice break from a tough NHL season.

But that’s not the case, the Islanders are in the thick of the playoff race. As such, allowing Schaefer to go overseas could be counterproductive. The team needs him now. If Schaefer were struggling to find his footing in the NHL, well, allowing him to play at the Junior level wouldn’t be a bad idea.

With Schaefer having a rookie season for the ages, it just doesn’t make sense to let him play at the World Juniors. Even playing in the Olympics might not necessarily be the best idea for the moment. Final rosters are expected by the end of December. So, it might just be a question of waiting to see what Team Canada management decides.