NY Islanders Might Make Major Switch With Young Star Matthew Schaefer

Will the New York Islanders make a major switch with their young star?

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) reacts after scoring a goal in the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the offseason underway, the New York Islanders were pretty busy opening up free agency, making a number of additions. 

Despite not having a lot of cap space to work with, the Islanders were able to make some impactful moves to help the team improve for next year. New York is a team that is going to be trying to be a playoff contender next season, but their real goal will be to create sustained success long-term. 

Due to the success of the team last year, their timeline of when they were ready to contend got a bit murky. Nobody would have predicted that the team was going to be as good as they were for much of the season, and that might have resulted in some bad decisions before the trade deadline. 

The Islanders took on some questionable contracts, limiting them to what they could do this summer. However, as the team navigates the summer, they might look to make a major switch for their star Matthew Schaefer. 

Schaefer Could Move to Right Side

Just talked with Pete DeBoer.

Was asked about George playing the right side, and he said he sees Schaefer as an option over there and would rather keep George on the left. #Isles

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) July 2, 2026

As the Islanders look to configure their roster for next year, Peter DeBoer recently spoke about the potential of moving his young defenseman to the right side of the blueline. 

This would certainly be a major shift, and the move would likely be made to get him on the ice at the same time as Adam Pelech. While the veteran defenseman is very good, he isn’t much of an offensive threat, and pairing him with a player like Schaefer on the first line would give New York a really dynamic duo for their first pair. 

If the Islanders did pull off this move and Schaefer is capable of being the same player on that side, it would be a massive move and shake up their defensive pairings quite a bit. 

On the second pair, it would likely result in Ryan Pulock moving with Alexander Romanov. This would be a strong duo if they are paired together, especially considering Pulock has a plethora of experience as a first-pair defenseman. 

While it would be Tony DeAngelo on the right side of the third pair, perhaps it would be the young Isaiah George getting the playing time on the left side. It would be a pretty bold move to slide Schaefer over to the other side, but if he is capable, the Islanders blueline would be impressive.