In the 2024-2025 NHL season, the New York Islanders finished with a 35-35-12 record, placed sixth in the Metropolitan Division, and failed to make the playoffs.
During the season, the Islanders began to embrace a rebuild, trading forward Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and forward prospect Calum Ritchie. Even with this trade, the Islanders remained an aging team with a prospect pool at the bottom of the league.
In the offseason, after firing General Manager Lou Lamoriello and hiring Mathieu Darche, the Islanders experienced a surprise in the draft lottery, winning despite having the tenth-best odds and just a 3.5% chance to secure the first pick.
After trading top defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, the Islanders selected Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer with their first pick, aiming to replace Dobson and become the team’s franchise defenseman. With high expectations for Schaefer, he has lived up to them in his first NHL season at 18 years old.
His success has helped change the narrative for the Islanders, turning a team that was once directionless and boring into a fun and exciting group with a promising future.
Exceptional Talent on the Offensive End
Although a defenseman, Schaefer shines offensively. In his rookie season so far, he has 13 goals and 17 assists, totaling 30 points in 43 games. His 13 goals rank fourth among defensemen, and he’s 16th in points. Among rookies this season, Schaefer has the third most points and goals.
So far in his rookie season, Schaefer has scored 13 goals, the second-most by an 18-year-old defenseman, tying with all-time great Bobby Orr. He is currently five goals away from breaking the record set by Phil Housley, who had 17 goals as an 18-year-old defenseman. Projections suggest Schaefer will finish with 23 goals, which would surpass Housley’s record.
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In his rookie season, he is projected to finish with 53 points in a full 82-game season, which would make him second all-time among 18-year-old defensemen in points, and tied for 15th all-time among rookie defensemen.
Quickness and Skate Speed
One of Schaefer’s strongest skills is his quickness on the ice. Whether he has the puck or not, his speed helps him jump into the rush and make an impact offensively, while also allowing him to retreat and quickly get back to the blue line. With the puck, Schaefer’s speed lets him blow past defenders and take shots on goal.
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Defensively, Schaefer uses his speed to back-check, stop breakaways, disrupt transition looks, and neutralize odd-man advantages. His speed combined with hockey IQ makes him very difficult to get past, allowing him to keep pace with some of the top skaters in hockey.
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Statistically, Schaefer ranks among the fastest skaters in the NHL. His 21 instances of reaching a top speed of 22+ MPH are tied for seventh in the league, and his 135 times hitting 20+ MPH place him 13th. These bursts of speed keep him in the top tier of skaters, alongside stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Brayden Point, who are some of the league’s top forwards.
Bringing Excitement to the Franchise
In the 2025-2026 NHL season, the Islanders are currently 25-16-6 and hold second place in the Metropolitan Division. The team has gained a new wave of success in a year when many did not expect them to make the playoffs.
While the Islanders’ success has also stemmed from players like Matthew Barzal and Bo Horvat, as well as from the solid goaltending of Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich, Schaefer has been a vital contributor and is trusted in any situation, leading the team in ice time per game.
Fans now see the Islanders, who many considered a boring franchise for many years, as fun and exciting. Former players, executives, and analysts have said that they enjoy watching the Islanders; adding a young, electrifying player like Matthew Schaefer helps a lot with that.
Throughout this season, Schaefer, along with the rest of the Islanders, has had some notable performances that support these claims. These include a dominant 9-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils, a 4-3 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs where Schaefer scored twice, including the overtime goal, and a 6-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, who were the league’s best team at the time with a 19-1-3 record, handing them their second regulation loss in 23 games.
In Matthew Schaefer’s rookie season, he has helped transform the culture on the island while also emerging as the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy. With the Islanders’ turnaround, the team expected Schaefer to continue to excel, as they aim to bring the Stanley Cup back to the island for the first time since 1983.
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