From the moment that the Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer first overall in the NHL Draft back in June, there’s been so much to like from a young man mature beyond his age. From development camp to rookie camp to training camp, the defenseman continues to make a strong case for the Islanders to keep him around instead of sending him back to juniors.
A perfect example of his skill and poise came to light during the second period of Monday night’s 3-2 overtime pre-season loss to the Rangers at UBS Arena. At the end of an Islanders power play, Rangers forward Matt Rempe was sprung on a breakaway coming out of the penalty box. Schaefer turned on the jets skating back to defend and came up with a highlight reel back-check knocking the puck away from Rempe.
An honest Schaefer feels like he covered up for his own mistake.
“I think I should have maybe read it at the end of the power play there so I kind of had to save myself a little bit there,” said Schaefer. “I got a little bit of stick but (goalie David Rittich) did a great job too.”
But it was Schaefer who opened up everyone’s eyes, including Rittich, with that electrifying back-check.
“He’s a great player,” said Rittich. “He’s a first rounder for a reason and he’s proving to everybody that he was the right choice.”
Schaefer was still 17 years old when he first put on an Islanders jersey when he was drafted, but very often he looks like a seasoned veteran and that’s a big reason why the likelihood is that Schaefer will be on the roster when the Islanders open up their season October 9th in Pittsburgh.
He's showing each and every day that he should be a New York Islander and not an Erie Otter.
“I don’t know what his ceiling is to be honest,” said Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy. “Every day I feel like it’s exciting to see him play. If I’m a fan coming to the game, it’s pretty impressive the way that he skates with the puck on his rush offensively and he seems to defend very well. I’m very pleased where he is absolutely.”
And Schaefer has already endeared himself to Islanders fans in so many ways including acknowledging the storied rivalry with the Rangers. During his draft night interview with actor and Islanders fan Kevin Connolly, Schaefer took his first shot at the Blueshirts.
“I hear there’s a big rivalry so I want to play against the Rangers and beat them every time we play them.”
That didn’t work out on Monday night but Schaefer did enjoy his first Islanders/Rangers game even though it was only pre-season. And another reason why Islanders fans are going to love this kid…he wasted no time taking a shot at Rangers fans.
“It was pretty crazy,” said Schaefer. “The arena was pretty loud but obviously the Islanders fans were louder than them. It’s definitely a rival and I’m going to be looking to play them a lot more this year so it’s going to be a good rival and I’m looking forward to it.”
What everyone around the Islanders is looking forward to is seeing Schaefer continue to get better but there’s already so much to like about him. He’s a great skater and sees the ice so well. His passing is exceptional and he’s already shown to be a good defender.
And that’s why Senior Vice-President and General Manager Mathieu Darche selected Schaefer first overall.
“He’s been really good,” said Darche during a television interview Monday night on the Islanders MSGSN telecast. “His skating ability just stands out when you watch him. The one aspect that actually has impressed me which a lot of times on younger players it takes longer is his defending because at the end of the day, you can be great on offense but if you don’t defend you can’t play in this league. He’s been very good. He’s been as advertised.”
The Islanders have one more pre-season game remaining and that will be this Thursday against the Flyers in Philadelphia. Through three pre-season games and training camp, Schaefer continues to show that he belongs with the Islanders and it seems like the organization’s confidence in him is growing every day.
And along with that, Schaefer’s confidence has risen since day one of training camp.
“It’s grown a lot,” said Schaefer. “Confidence is key and when you’re playing out there a lot more, your teammates help you so much building that confidence when you’re passing the puck around and making plays. My confidence is definitely up and I think it can be even higher and there’s a lot of things that I can do to improve.”
When you watch Matthew Schaefer on the ice and when you talk to him, you sometimes forget that he just turned 18 years old. The belief is growing that he’ll be on the Islanders’ opening-night roster a week from Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Islanders will have to live with his mistakes as he cuts his teeth in the NHL, but his skill level, maturity and poise will ultimately be too great for them to ignore.
The Islanders certainly hit the lottery on this kid.