Matthew Schaefer: Five things to know about Islanders' No. 1 draft pick
Matthew Schaefer, left, puts on a jersey next to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being drafted by the New York Islanders on Friday. Credit: AP
Scouting report
The 6-2, 183-pound Schaefer, who will not turn 18 until Sept. 5, earned the top ranking on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s list of North American skaters. A big reason why was Schaefer’s elite skating skills, which allow him to transport the puck and be a strong playmaker. But he also has good two-way skills and can be physical in the defensive end. He’s played on the power play and the penalty kill.
Fully healthy
Illness and a broken collarbone limited Schaefer to seven goals and 15 assists in 17 OHL games, but he’s fully healthy and medically cleared. He’s expected to be on ice for the Islanders’ summer prospect development camp, which opens on Monday.
Tragic story
Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer Schaefer, to cancer in February 2024 at the age of 56, three months after his billet mother in Erie, Ontario, Emily Matson, died by suicide.
Following McDavid
Schaefer has duplicated the feat of Connor McDavid — the Edmonton superstar generally considered the best current player in the NHL — by being selected first overall in the NHL Draft and the junior Ontario Hockey League draft. The Erie Otters, McDavid’s junior team, selected Schaefer first in 2023.
Good talker
The first thing Schaefer will tell you about himself is that he’s a ready and willing talker. He calls it a family trait. It’s why he’s looked so comfortable in front of the cameras in the lead-up to the NHL Draft.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
More Islanders
