SN insider Pierre LeBrun says the NHL world is not just noticing New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer — it is stunned by how advanced the 18-year-old is this early. On SportsCentre, LeBrun called the No. 1 pick “absolutely the early front-runner for the Calder” and relayed a striking assessment from Islanders GM Mathieu Darche.
“I texted with Mathieu Darche... he just cannot believe how well he defends for an 18-year-old and what a great teammate he is,” LeBrun said. “They knew about the skating and offensive talent, but the Islanders are finding he is actually ahead of where even they had him.