NY Islanders Star Matthew Schaefer Gets Serious Praise From Scout

The New York Islanders have a legitimate franchise cornerstone in Matthew Schaefer.

Nov 4, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) skates with the puck against the Boston Bruins during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lady Luck was on the side of the New York Islanders when they won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery despite having the No. 10 odds for the pick.

With the No. 1 pick that year, the team selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who was 17 years old during the draft. Expectations are high for a player who is selected first overall, but even the most optimistic people couldn’t have predicted what would come during the 2025-26 season.

Schaefer put together a historic campaign, being a unanimous selection for the Calder Trophy. He tied the record for goals by a rookie defenseman with 23, which was held by Hall of Famer Brian Leetch. His 59 total points broke the record for an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history.

It was a remarkable debut for Schaefer, which led to him making history with his placement in the first year of eligibility in the NHL Player Tiers shared by The Athletic (subscription required). The Islanders star landed in tier 2A, with only 11 players ahead of him in the rankings. And in the opinion of one scout who was spoken to for the piece, he could have been higher.

Scout has major praise for Matthew Schaefer

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) plays the puck in the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I’d have him as a Tier 1 guy, seriously,” a scout said. “He was a difference-maker of the highest order and he’s going to be one of, if not the best defender on the planet, if he isn’t already. He’s a generational guy.”

That is incredibly high praise from the scout. Putting him in Tier 1 would place him in the same range as Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets - the only defensemen ranked ahead of him.

He made his debut in the top 20 rankings shared by NHL.com and came in at No. 7, making his presence felt immediately.

Entering Year 2 of his career, it will be fascinating to see what Schaefer does for an encore after his historic rookie campaign. Based on the NHL Player Tiers, another monster season is expected from the Calder Trophy winner.

He is expected to take a step forward with his production, predicted to have 24.9 goals and 43 assists in his second campaign. His Net Rating is projected to be an elite +14.4, and if he can get close to those numbers, a spot in Tier 1 could be awaiting him when the rankings are shared next year.

Schaefer will be only 19 years old when the 2026-27 season gets underway. He is just scratching the surface of his potential, and the sky’s the limit with the potential he possesses.