Ranking NHL prospects is completely objective, as each scout may see something in a player that another doesn’t. There’s no exact science to it, but one thing is for sure. Nearly everyone sees something special in NY Islanders prospect Matthew Schaefer.
Schaefer, the first overall pick by the NY Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft, has been ranked the top-drafted prospect in the league by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff.
"Seriously, it’s hard to find one negative aspect about his game. Schaefer is as close to a perfect puck-moving defender as you’ll find.