When that No. 13 ping pong ball popped up on the night of the NHL Lottery, giving the NY Islanders the first pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Matthew Schaefer was the expected first overall pick.
Also expected is that he’d be the cornerstone of the franchise, giving them an elite skating, play-making option along the blue line.
Schaefer is among the leagues top young talents
What was unexpected is that he’d become all of that in his first 21 NHL games.
The current front-runner for the Calder Trophy, Schaefer has exceeded expectations, and aside from being considered the league's top rookie, he’s considered one of the NHL’s top young talents.