Matthew Schaefer May Win 2025 Calder Memorial Trophy

Matthew Schaefer might win the 2025 Calder Memorial Trophy as the top rookie in the National Hockey League. He is off to a great start to his career, with points in his first six games. Schaefer has two goals and four assists, and he is a defenseman!

It is true that the young man still has a few defensive lapses and needs to put on some meat (he is listed at only 186 pounds), but his offensive talent is undeniable. Schaefer was the first overall pick in the 2025 National Hockey League Draft. Do you think Schaefer will win the Calder Trophy?

Matthew Schaefer’s Firsts

Schaefer has had a great start to his rookie season. He has an impressive list of firsts already. They are: the youngest defenseman selected first overall to make his National Hockey League debut, youngest defenseman to record a point in his National Hockey League debut, youngest defenseman to score a goal in over 80 years, youngest player on record to score first National Hockey League goal on the power play, youngest player to play more than 25 minutes in a game, youngest defenseman with a season-opening point streak of four or more games. Expect more offensive firsts for Matthew Schaefer.

Defensive Cornerstone

The best thing about Schaefer is that he will be a defensive cornerstone for the Islanders for years to come. He is currently on an entry-level contract, and the way that these contracts work is that players can play 9 games without expiring a year on the contract (which is three years in length) if the player is returned to the minors. If Schaefer plays only 9 games, which is very unlikely, he might be the best player on the team, but he will not win the Calder Trophy.

Regardless of whether Schaefer plays more than 9 games or wins the Calder Trophy, the best thing about him is that he is a cornerstone defenseman for the Islanders. That is a commodity that National Hockey League teams crave. What the Islanders need to do is sign him long-term, and they should probably do that right now. He is the closest thing to a sure thing there is, and his size and defensive prowess will improve.

Bright Spot

This year, the Islanders will be a mediocre team, and they may not make the playoffs. Led by Schaefer, the Islanders have a great number of prospects, so great, in fact, that the prospect pool for the Islanders was ranked dead last in the National Hockey League as little as two years ago. Now, they rank in the top 10. The best part about Schaefer is his polished offensive skill and skating ability. A close second is his maturity. He has a fantastic story, as his mother died of breast cancer, and the mother of the family he was living with killed herself.

Whether you like it or not, postseason awards, like the Calder Trophy, are about offensive statistics. Schaefer certainly has those. He may not keep up the pace he is on; it works out to more than 90 points for a season, but he will likely score enough points to win the award. What is truly amazing is that he has a point on more than half of the Islanders’ points this season.

Conclusion

Things are looking up for the Islanders. Not only do they have Schaefer, but they have another candidate for the Calder Trophy this season in Maxim Shabanov. It gets better. The Islanders have a lot of prospects right now, and they currently have two draft picks in this year’s deep draft. The Islanders will have Calder Trophy candidates for years to come.