Team Canada's Last Defense Spot Down To Two Surprising Names
Insider Pierre LeBrun says his name has jumped back onto the shortlist, and it sounds like this last roster debate on the blue line is getting real.
There needs to be an eighth defenseman on the roster for Canada at the Olympics, and the choice is reportedly between Evan Bouchard and Matthew Schaefer. @Rupper17 and Cory Schneider discuss which defenseman should head to Milan.
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) December 18, 2025
Catch #NHLNow weekdays at 5p ET on NHL… pic.twitter.com/4kLHqflv7k
Evan Bouchard making a late push for Team Canada
The way it’s being framed right now, Team Canada is basically deciding whether they want Bouchard’s proven ceiling and big-game reps, or the new-school wildcard with Matthew Schaefer.
The fact that an 18-year-old defenseman is in serious discussion to make the Canadian Olympic team is basically unheard of, but speaks to how much Schaefer's hit the ground running in his first NHL season.
LeBrun’s read is that it’s down to those two for the eighth defenceman spot, which is pretty wild considering where the talk was earlier in the season.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of Schaefer and Bouchard's statistics this season, from Stathead Hockey:
Bouchard has recorded six goals, 32 total points, a +3 plus/minus rating, 45 blocked shots, and 88 shots across 35 games played this season. He's also averaging 23:59 time on ice per game, which is a career high.
Meanwhile, Schaefer has put up 9 goals, 23 total points, a +8 plus/minus rating, 47 blocked shots, and 93 shots across 34 games played. He's averaging just a hair under Bouchard's TOI at 23:48 per game.
Matthew Schaefer vs Evan Bouchard for Canada’s 8D spot
Schaefer has forced the issue as an 18-year-old, but Bouchard’s counter is simple. When he’s rolling, he can drive offence from the back end and run a power play like a true difference-maker, which we've seen him do on back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals runs.
That being said, strictly talking powerplay here, Schaefer has also looked dangerous on the man advantage this season, recording five powerplay goals to Bouchard's two, and five powerplay assists to Bouchard's eight.
Keep in mind, Bouchard gets to operate on the second best powerplay unit in the league (31.9%), which, of course, he helps make it dangerous, but also has stars like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins alongside him.
The New York Islanders have the 24th ranked powerplay in the league (16.5%) with an 18-year-old in Schaefer quarterbacking it. Alongside him is Jonathan Drouin, Matthew Barzal, Anthony Duclair, and Maxim Shabanov, which is nowhere as loaded as the Oilers.
Matthew Schaefer scored yesterday and now has 9 goals, already tied for 4th most ever by an 18-year old defenseman.
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) December 14, 2025
He's on pace to beat Phil Housley's NHL record of 19. Hard to appreciate what he's doing, at his age, in real time. pic.twitter.com/vBUTRVPeFz
Of course the risk is the main factor, because the mistakes can get loud, and Team Canada usually hates noise on the blue line in short tournaments.
As a rookie, Schaefer may be more prone to mistakes than a veteran defenseman, which would be magnified in the biggest stage at the Olympics. However, Bouchard also has his history of questionable decision-making, so it truly feels like a neck-and-neck battle.
Either way, with the roster expected to be revealed on New Year’s Eve, this feels like one of the last real toss-ups left.
Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
