Everyone said the fitting things, refusing to get out ahead of themselves and allowing Matthew Schaefer space to prove he should start the season on the Islanders reasonably than anointing the 18-year-old.
Even so, there was no drama or query over Schaefer’s inclusion on the 23-man Islanders roster, which was submitted to the league Monday.
Schaefer was chosen by the Islanders 101 days ago and the last time there was any doubt about where he could be when the season opened was, at a minimum, 100 days ago.
“He had a terrific camp,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “You saw all of it. His skating abilities, but just the way in which, overall, he’s conducted himself in practice. The best way he works in practice, the way in which he played in those games. He got higher as camp went on.
“Even his first game on the road in Philly against mainly their whole [NHL] lineup, he made a mistake in the primary. It didn’t rattle him. [He] had a superb game after that. So he’s proven that he deserves to be within the lineup on Thursday in Pittsburgh.”
The slide provision in NHL entry-level contracts allows for players to be sent back to junior without losing a 12 months of their deals in the event that they play nine games or fewer, so the 10-game milestone will likely be essential for Schaefer to succeed in, because it formalizes that he’ll spend the entire season on Long Island. Like making the roster, though, something would wish to go dramatically unsuitable for that to be anything greater than a fait accompli.
Defensemen, the standard wisdom goes, need about 200 NHL games to develop. In an era when it’s normal for the No. 1, and sometimes the No. 2, overall picks to leap straight to the NHL as 18-year-olds, it’s no coincidence that the last top selection who didn’t achieve this was defenseman Owen Power in 2021.
Just 4 No. 1 overall defenseman have played greater than 10 games as 18-year-old rookies: Gord Kluzak (1982), Roman Hamrlik (1992), Aaron Ekblad (2014) and Rasmus Dahlin (2018). Schaefer, almost actually, will likely be the fifth.
“You’ve seen teams having young guys, they keep them up [in the NHL] and manage their workload. But like I said from the beginning, the way in which he’s gonna play is gonna dictate what we do,” Darche said. “He’s completely earned his spot on the team and within the lineup on October 9. He will likely be within the lineup. And we’ll take it as we go.”
Schaefer will start the season on the third pair with Scott Mayfield, a partner whose defensive acumen should give him some cover to leap into the push. Over 4 preseason games, Schaefer’s skating ability was a consistent plus, though he did seem liable to occasional errors within the defensive zone.
“I lived it once I was playing, I used to be 20 years old after I began playing within the NHL,” coach Patrick Roy said last Thursday after the Islanders’ preseason finale in Philadelphia. “There was nights where you possibly can lose your confidence very easily. So I don’t want it to occur to him. I would like him to remain the course, concentrate on what he must do. There’s nights where — just keep it easy.”
The Islanders are betting that Schaefer has the maturity crucial to handle it when mistakes inevitably come, in addition to coping with the highlight that comes with being the No. 1 pick in Latest York.
The tests will come instantly, with Schaefer set to line up opposite Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in his first two NHL games.
“His skating ability, his maturity, being an 18-year-old playing skilled hockey, being within the NHL in a market like Latest York, I believe his maturity really gave me confidence that that won’t be a problem,” Darche said. “From the primary day we sat with him on the mix, that’s what stood out. In order that’s what comforts me that he’s ready for this. And we’ll start the season and see where it goes at this point. He’s earned his spot within the lineup for that first game.”
Everyone said the fitting things, refusing to get out ahead of themselves and allowing Matthew Schaefer space to prove he should start the season on the Islanders reasonably than anointing the 18-year-old.
Even so, there was no drama or query over Schaefer’s inclusion on the 23-man Islanders roster, which was submitted to the league Monday.
Schaefer was chosen by the Islanders 101 days ago and the last time there was any doubt about where he could be when the season opened was, at a minimum, 100 days ago.
“He had a terrific camp,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “You saw all of it. His skating abilities, but just the way in which, overall, he’s conducted himself in practice. The best way he works in practice, the way in which he played in those games. He got higher as camp went on.
“Even his first game on the road in Philly against mainly their whole [NHL] lineup, he made a mistake in the primary. It didn’t rattle him. [He] had a superb game after that. So he’s proven that he deserves to be within the lineup on Thursday in Pittsburgh.”
The slide provision in NHL entry-level contracts allows for players to be sent back to junior without losing a 12 months of their deals in the event that they play nine games or fewer, so the 10-game milestone will likely be essential for Schaefer to succeed in, because it formalizes that he’ll spend the entire season on Long Island. Like making the roster, though, something would wish to go dramatically unsuitable for that to be anything greater than a fait accompli.
Defensemen, the standard wisdom goes, need about 200 NHL games to develop. In an era when it’s normal for the No. 1, and sometimes the No. 2, overall picks to leap straight to the NHL as 18-year-olds, it’s no coincidence that the last top selection who didn’t achieve this was defenseman Owen Power in 2021.
Just 4 No. 1 overall defenseman have played greater than 10 games as 18-year-old rookies: Gord Kluzak (1982), Roman Hamrlik (1992), Aaron Ekblad (2014) and Rasmus Dahlin (2018). Schaefer, almost actually, will likely be the fifth.
“You’ve seen teams having young guys, they keep them up [in the NHL] and manage their workload. But like I said from the beginning, the way in which he’s gonna play is gonna dictate what we do,” Darche said. “He’s completely earned his spot on the team and within the lineup on October 9. He will likely be within the lineup. And we’ll take it as we go.”
Schaefer will start the season on the third pair with Scott Mayfield, a partner whose defensive acumen should give him some cover to leap into the push. Over 4 preseason games, Schaefer’s skating ability was a consistent plus, though he did seem liable to occasional errors within the defensive zone.
“I lived it once I was playing, I used to be 20 years old after I began playing within the NHL,” coach Patrick Roy said last Thursday after the Islanders’ preseason finale in Philadelphia. “There was nights where you possibly can lose your confidence very easily. So I don’t want it to occur to him. I would like him to remain the course, concentrate on what he must do. There’s nights where — just keep it easy.”
The Islanders are betting that Schaefer has the maturity crucial to handle it when mistakes inevitably come, in addition to coping with the highlight that comes with being the No. 1 pick in Latest York.
The tests will come instantly, with Schaefer set to line up opposite Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in his first two NHL games.
“His skating ability, his maturity, being an 18-year-old playing skilled hockey, being within the NHL in a market like Latest York, I believe his maturity really gave me confidence that that won’t be a problem,” Darche said. “From the primary day we sat with him on the mix, that’s what stood out. In order that’s what comforts me that he’s ready for this. And we’ll start the season and see where it goes at this point. He’s earned his spot within the lineup for that first game.”
