Islanders Select Matthew Schaefer With First Pick in NHL Draft

The New York Islanders selected a new franchise defender with the top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Matthew Schaefer, whom the Erie Otters will choose with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft, poses with his family during the team's April 20, 2023, event to announce his impending selection. Posing with Schaefer, a defenseman, are (left to right) his father Todd; his mother, Jennifer; and his brother, Johnny. P1schaefer042023jpg / MIKE COPPER/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New York Islanders kicked off the 2025 NHL Draft with the selection of defenseman Matthew Schaefer out of the Ontario Hockey League. The Islanders surprisingly won the lottery to secure the first overall selection, and they took the Erie Otters blue liner who projects to be the next Norris Trophy-level defender in the NHL. 

The first pick is hardly a surprise for the Islanders, however. Over the past few months, Schaefer has been the consensus top prospect available. Despite an injury sustained at the 2025 World Junior Championship that robbed him of several months of action, he skyrocketed up nearly every ranking. He scored two points in two WJC contests before the injury and finished his OHL season with seven goals and 22 points in 17 games. 

And with the first overall pick in the 2025 #NHLDraft, the @NYIslanders select Matthew Schaefer!#Isles pic.twitter.com/vSGMVHsMRP

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 27, 2025

Despite the small sample size, Schaefer has a few tools that make him the clear-cut top player in the 2025 class. The first is his skating ability. He can escape the defensive zone with ease and can go from his goal line to the red line in a surprisingly small number of strides. He’s lightning fast with the puck on his stick as well, making him an individual threat to break opposing teams' forechecking systems. 

In the offensive zone, he remains a constant threat. He can manipulate the blue line and keep plays alive. He can funnel pucks to the goalie to create rebounds, and he constantly has his head up scanning for open passing lanes and options. 

A current NHL comparison is Miro Heiskanen. Like the Dallas Stars’ defender, Schaefer’s mobility and fluid hips fuel him in all three zones. He’s a game breaker in the making, just like Heiskanen, and the Islanders are hoping he can reach a similar level in the NHL.

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