Matthew Schaefer: New York Islanders’ 1st Overall Pick

Matthew Schaefer, the Islanders’ first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is exceptionally easy to root for. Schaefer signed a rookie contract on August 4, 2025. There is a rule with rookie contracts in the NHL that basically says he, and all rookie contract signees, can play up to nine games without burning a year on their rookie contract.

His mother died of breast cancer in February 2024. That happened just months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, was struck and killed by a train in an apparent suicide. Touched by tragedy and highly skilled, he should play the entire season for the Islanders. How many games do you think he will play for the Islanders this year?

Schaefer’s Skill

He is easy to root for because of the tragedy in his life, but that should not take away from his extreme hockey skills. First overall draft picks in hockey often play for their team for the entire season; they are sometimes transformational players (recently, Alexander Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, and Nathan McKinnon come to mind). Schaefer may not be that good, and he should not be rushed, but there is a high likelihood that he will exceed the nine games that define the entry-level contract.

He does have good statistics. He plays defense and played for two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Erie Otters. In 2023-24, he played 56 games for the Otters and had 17 points. In 2024-25, he was limited by a shoulder injury, but scored a fantastic 22 points in 17 games. He also played four tournaments with Team Canada, scoring 17 points in 22 games. He was named the top draft prospect in the CHL in 2025, and he fits the Islanders’ needs.

Schaefer’s Story

Not only is Schaefer a very good hockey player who fits the Islander’s needs, but his personal story makes him very easy to root for. He is the younger son of Todd and Jennifer. His older brother Johnny, like him, played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). His mother died of breast cancer in February 2024, less than three months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, was struck and killed by a train in an apparent suicide. He wears a pink ribbon on his jersey for Breast Cancer awareness.

Turn Around

Schaefer is a big part of a huge turnaround on the Islanders. Their prospect pool used to be ranked near the bottom of the National Hockey League, after former General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, traded away four consecutive first-round draft picks. In the last two years, the Islanders kept their first-round draft picks, and the store of prospects has been ranked as high as ninth in recent prospect rankings. The current Islanders’ General Manager, Matthew Darsche, had a great draft in 2025.

Things are turning around for the Islanders with all of the great prospects. The optimism over Schaefer is just a part of that, though a rightful part. As a skilled player, he is key to the turnaround for the long-suffering fans. The Islanders, except for a few fits and starts, have been very bad since the mid-1980s. At times, they have been a laughing stock. Among their greatest hits, they had an owner defraud everyone and get thrown in jail. They also had a laughable logo re-do in the mid-1990s. That money grab had fans of the team chanting, “We want fishsticks.”

Conclusion

Schaefer is very skilled, but it is his heart-warming story that makes him easy to root for. He should get paid as much money as he can get, as soon as possible. Fans hope he exceeds nine games this season. That would mean he burns a year, and that he is ready to help the team.