<p>With the 2026 Winter Olympics right around the corner in February and roster decisions due much sooner than that, Team Canada’s brass is weighing the possibility of embracing a youth movement. </p>



<p>The 2023 and 2024 first overall NHL Draft picks, Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, put up hat tricks on the same night on Tuesday, and they are tied for the second-most goals in the NHL with 13.</p>



<p>The two stars from the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/chicago-blackhawks/line-combinations">Chicago Blackhawks</a> and <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/san-jose-sharks/line-combinations">San Jose Sharks</a> have clearly forced their way into the picture, but 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer of the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-york-islanders/line-combinations">New York Islanders</a> is doing the same in a fashion that would have been utterly unthinkable just a month and a half ago.</p>



<p>In his <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-bedard-celebrini-making-strong-cases-for-team-canada/">written 32 Thoughts column</a>, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Schaefer was added to the Olympic drug-testing protocol, which makes him eligible to make the roster.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="147"></div>



<p>When Canada won the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, their defensive unit consisted of Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Alex Pietrangelo, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore and Devon Toews. Drew Doughty was added to the roster as an injury replacement for Pietrangelo, who has not returned to competitive hockey since last season. Thomas Harley was called in as an emergency standby after an injury to Theodore, and ultimately filled in for Makar when he was forced out of the lineup due to illness.</p>



<p>If an injury or a change of circumstances were to remove one of those eight who participated at 4 Nations, that would open the door to a new inclusion, and the options outside of Schaefer would include Thomas Chabot, Brandon Montour, Vince Dunn, Jakob Chychrun and Evan Bouchard. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="132"></div>



<p>In his rookie season, Schaefer has quickly established himself as the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. He’s handled a massive workload and been incredibly productive offensively, putting up 15 points in 20 games while skating to a plus-4 rating on an average of 22:30 of time on ice per game.</p>



<p>Schaefer, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, has a history of being a part of gold medal-winning Canadian squads. He’s done so at the U17 World Hockey Championships, the U18 World Junior Championships and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.</p>



<p>He made Canada’s U20 World Junior squad last year and recorded a goal and an assist in his two games played as Canada failed to make the medal round. </p>



<p>Whether Schaefer makes the team this year or not, there’s no question that he has quickly established himself as the heir apparent to Makar as Canada’s best defenseman.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="150"></div>
