Where should Islander Ritchie & Schaefer be next season? – Hockey Writer – New York Islander
New York Islanders have a remodeled farm system with 2025 Best Draft Choice Matthew Schaefer and Calum Ritchie (2023 ranked 27th in 2023). Both are the best forwards and defenders in the prospect pool – Schaefer is by far the best defender in the system.
Related: Islander AHL Team and its Rocky Road Back to the Battle
The question is where they should play next season so that the islanders can get the most out of both of them. Ritchie and Schaefer spent last season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and fans hope to see them on the NHL roster. There is plenty of room between the two, which is a tough decision for first-time general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche.
Schaefer and Ritchie should stay in OHL
Ritchie won’t return to the OHL. He has two years left on his entry-level contract (ELC), and if the Islanders want to take advantage of this, they will hope he develops in the American Hockey League (AHL) and he can be called by the NHL at any time.
Schaefer is likely to return to the OHL or move to the NCAA to develop this season. However, this will close the door immediately for any chance of making an impact at the NHL level. Schaefer is talented enough to be the Islanders’ roster and if he returns to the OHL he will dominate the league so much that it can stop him from developing without any real competition, and he will get any real competition in the pros.
Darche showed willingness to be patient and play a long game with his prospects. Schaefer is still a teenager, so there is a good argument to keep him in the OHL, especially after missing due to injury most of last season. That said, Darche will challenge him to learn a two-way physics match that will prepare him for a more intense match.
It is also worth noting that if Schaefer stays in the OHL, he can only transfer to the AHL before the end of the season. This will limit the organization’s choices, but will also ensure he uses this season to develop.
The situation of making NHL
If Ritchie or Schaefer is ready for the NHL, it should be in the opening roster. Both skaters are developing camps and will be in training camps where they can prove themselves to be Islander full-time. The Montreal Canadaens added a talented rookie or defensive rookie last season, which could take the team to the next level, which was the Montreal Canadas who witnessed Calder Trophy defensive player Lane Hutson’s blue line last season last season.
The problem is that Ritchie is the center of an anchor line, and Schaefer is a two-way defender. Both positions have a steep learning curve, and the adjustments from beginner games to career level are dramatic.
In between, older, more developed Ritchie is more likely in the opening lineup. The Islanders can make room for him in the third act to get him into the center position, hoping he will be the top six center by the end of the season. That said, despite being the most NHL-friendly prospect in the organization, Ritchie may spend some time researching the position at the AHL.
The best case scenario is that Schaefer and Ritchie start at AHL
On paper, AHL makes the most sense for both players. Bridgeport Islanders used to be a place where prospects disappeared, but Darche controlled the team and farm systems, and now the organization can get the most out of it.
That is to say, Schaefer is only 17 years old, and the league requires players to be at least 18 years old. But he was 18 before the start of the season, and if he signed his ELC and was no longer part of the OHL, it would take him off from the CHL-NHL agreement, he had a path to the AHL – the transfer portal has become an interesting option and messed up the hockey trade.
Sending two players to the AHL doesn’t mean they’ll be there all season. They can move between the AHL and the NHL due to injury or other factors, as the position on the roster is open. However, moving them up and down throughout the season can both hinder their development and damage their confidence. The Chicago Blackhawks brought Kirby Dach to him too early, which brought him back to several seasons. So with this in mind, Darche is only called in this case when he is ready to stay in the NHL.
The best scenario is that Ritchie and Schaefer start at Bridgeport and then join the NHL roster mid-sport to inject some much-needed youth and talent. The Boston Bruins are an aging and declining team before David Pastrnak arrives and opens the windows of competition. The same can be said of the Pittsburgh Penguin when Jake Guentzel arrives.
Ricci can change the Islanders’ offense and their trajectory, while Schaeve can turn the team into a contender. If two prospects are ready and have an impact, this could make the team a contender even in a season when they don’t want them to be close to the Eastern Conference.
