Islanders' future might not be 'now,' but future is brighter with Matthew Schaefer pick
Matthew Schaefer walks the red carpet during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP
If it seems silly to pin the hopes of a major North American professional sports franchise on someone who is younger than the iPhone, that’s because it is.
So let’s give Matthew Schaefer a break here in expecting him to carry the Islanders to glory, at least until the kid takes the ice — and is legally an adult.
But it is OK to add him to a larger narrative around the team, one that is pointing in a new and positive direction under hockey operations boss Mathieu Darche.
The Islanders appear poised for a fresh start, and the fact that they lucked into the No. 1 overall draft pick against all odds only adds to the vibe.
On Friday night, they made it official, taking Schaefer, a 17-year-old defenseman out of the Ontario Hockey League, and then adding two more picks in the top 17.
For several hours Friday afternoon, it appeared the Islanders might double their fun by nabbing Hauppauge’s own James Hagens, who grew up a fan of the team.
That was after they offloaded 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson and his salary demands to Montreal for the No. 16 and 17 picks.
Was a dramatic trade into the top 10 in the offing?
It was not.
Boston took Hagens No. 7 overall — a pick introduced by celebrity Bruins fan Adam Sandler — after fans at UBS Arena chanted, “We want Hagens!”
So the ultimate dream of adding a local kid to the mix was not to be. But it was enough for now to get Schaefer to keep the franchise momentum going.
The Islanders ended up keeping the 16th and 17th picks and taking right wing Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.
Darche confirmed in an interview with ESPN that the Islanders sought to use their extra first-round picks to move up.
But he said “there’s a reason that James got picked” without the Islanders getting a crack at him. “Because he’s a good player,” Darche said.
Still, he said: “We ended up getting guys that we never thought would be there at 16 and 17. We’re really excited about that, so maybe it turned out to be good with Victor and Kashawn.”
Only a time traveler from 2035 could tell us how this will play out. The last time the Islanders selected a defenseman No. 1 overall, it was 19-year-old Denis Potvin. Ten years later, they had four Stanley Cups.
This time, winning one would be enough to secure for Darche and Schaefer a lifetime place in franchise lore.
There is a lot of work to do for them and everyone else in the organization to retool a roster that has looked old, slow and stale of late.
Fans should be advised that this is a long-term play. Even if Schaefer does play in the NHL in 2025-26, it is unrealistic to expect him to come anywhere close to filling Dobson’s role.
Schaefer already has displayed personal fortitude far beyond his hockey skills, publicly navigating the death from breast cancer of his mother, Jennifer, early last year.
He was in tears after the Islanders made their pick, telling ESPN that his reaction was “a lot more happy than not” even though he wished his mother were there.
It was a feel-good night for the player, his family, the team and the league. That is what draft nights are about in every sport.
But again, this is going to be a process, and it is entirely possible that the Islanders will take a step or two back next season before moving forward. This franchise renovation had to be done, though. It is part of a larger plan to update the marketing end of the operation.
“Islanders fans are incredibly passionate, and this [No. 1 pick] was a very big win for them,” co-owner Jon Ledecky said before the draft. “The reaction has been positive in all aspects of our business from it. It’s a new beginning for a traditional, wonderful franchise.”
Darche arrived in late May. Schaefer joined him in late June. The gears are in motion. Even if it turns into a slow grind, things are headed in the right direction.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
