The New York Islanders just landed their next potential superstar, picking up 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
It’s a huge moment for the Islanders, who won the draft lottery and didn’t waste their golden ticket.
Schaefer’s been sidelined since December after breaking his collarbone while playing for Team Canada against Latvia in the World Junior Championships. But that injury hasn’t dimmed his star power one bit.
The young defenseman was absolutely crushing it before getting hurt. In just 15 games with the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League, he racked up an impressive 22 points.
He’s actually making history already – Schaefer’s the first OHL player to go first overall since Connor McDavid back in 2015.
And this kid’s got some serious swagger. Right after putting on that Islanders jersey for the first time, he took aim at their biggest rivals.
“We’re going to beat the Rangers every time we play them,” Schaefer declared to reporter John Kreiser, throwing down the gauntlet in what’s sure to be the NHL’s next great rivalry story.
Looks like the Islanders-Rangers matchups just got a whole lot more interesting.
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