PuckSleuth
48New York Islanders · Defense · Shoots L
Matthew Schaefer
Age 19 · 6'3" · 193 lb · Born in Hamilton, CAN
Cap hit
$975K
0.9% of $104M cap
Term
2 yrs
Through 2027-28, then RFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$7.963M
vs. $8.938M market estimate
Contract details from our records; public announcement not yet matched
2026-27 regular season
GP
1
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
0
0 primary
Points
0
0.00 per game
TOI/GP
27:45
PP 6:18 · PK 0:00
xGF%
63.2
5v5, +13.1 vs. last yr
Game Score
-0.38
per game, goals above average
Faceoff %
—
Plus/minus
0
Blocks 1 · Hits 0
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 @ TOR · L 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 27:45 | 6:18 | 0:00 | — | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.38 |
| Apr 14 vs CAR · L 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24:13 | 2:58 | 0:51 | — | 71 | 3 | 0 | -1 | -0.41 |
| Apr 12 vs MTL · L 4-1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 28:01 | 3:17 | 0:00 | — | 60 | 1 | 1 | -2 | -0.47 |
| Apr 11 vs OTT · L 3-0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 24:56 | 7:10 | 1:07 | — | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.21 |
| Apr 9 vs TOR · W 5-3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 24:50 | 4:51 | 0:00 | — | 75 | 2 | 1 | +1 | +1.37 |
GS = our Game Score, goals above average. FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,492 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen
58th percentile
88th percentile
37th percentile
57th percentile
71st percentile
63rd percentile
77th percentile
74th percentile
31st percentile
98th percentile
99th percentile
76th percentile
65th percentile
65th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleElite offensive defenseman
Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26
Schaefer is an electric skater with tremendous shot volume and puck skills who plays a finesse-oriented, perimeter-focused game. He generates chances through elite speed and hands rather than physical play or aggressive forechecking, leaning on his scoring touch and passing range to drive offense.
- Shooting volume
- 95
- Playmaking
- 80
- Zone entries(est.)
- 34
- Forechecking
- 27
- Physicality
- 10
- Defensive impact
- 54
- Puck management
- 87
- Speed
- 97
Where he shoots from
Slot 14% · Mid-range 34% · Perimeter 52%(306 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Elite speed (97th percentile) enables him to create opportunities and transition the puck with ease
- Exceptional shot volume (95th percentile) paired with strong puck management (87th percentile) makes him dangerous from the perimeter and point
- High playmaking ability (80th percentile) allows him to orchestrate offense and pick out open teammates
Watch-outs
- Forechecking (27th percentile) suggests he doesn't engage heavily in the offensive zone to force turnovers
- Limited physicality (10th percentile) means he won't establish presence through contact or win puck battles
- Modest zone entry rate (34th percentile) indicates he doesn't create numerous rush chances despite his speed
Similar style: Brock Faber (MIN), Jake Sanderson (OTT)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 82 GP · goals above average
Season total +12.3 goals, or +0.15 per game.
- Even strength offense
- +1.0
- Even strength defense
- -0.9
- Power play
- -0.2
- Penalty kill
- -0.1
- Finishing
- +7.3
- Playmaking
- +1.8
- Penalties
- +3.4
Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | New York Islanders | 82 | 23 | 36 | 59 | +13 | 38 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 222 | 10.4 | 24:41 | — | +0.15 |
| 2026-27 | New York Islanders | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.0 | 24:10 | — | -0.38 |
| Career | 2 seasons | 84 | 23 | 38 | 61 | +15 | 40 | 8 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 227 | 10.1 | 24:40 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GS/GP is our Game Score per game.
Usage
Last game: @ TOR, Sep 30
Pair 1 with Adam Pelech (9:47 together at 5-on-5) · PP1
From the NHL's shift chart.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Matthew Schaefer On Islanders Home Opener, UBS Arena Crowd & Excitement For Semyon Varlamov
The Elmonters · Oct 3
- Islanders bank on building home-ice edge behind Matthew Schaefer
nypost.com · Oct 3
- What will Matthew Schaefer’s next contract look like?
Daily Faceoff · Oct 1
- Islanders' Matthew Schaefer ties rookie defenseman goals record
ABC7 Eyewitness News · Oct 1
- TOR 2 vs NYI 1: Matthew Schaefer
NHL.com · Oct 1
- Inside what makes Islanders superstar Matthew Schaefer one of the best skaters in the world: ‘He’s literally flying’
New York Post · Sep 30
- Heart on Ice: Matthew Schaefer Dedicates Time Away From NY Islanders With Abundant Philanthropic Efforts
Sports Illustrated · Sep 30
- Islanders’ Leadership Group Set, Matthew Schaefer Becomes An “A”
theelmonters.com · Sep 29
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average -0.12 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 23.0 mph
- 100th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 9
- Hardest shot
- 87.8 mph
- 86th pct
- Distance
- 4.3 mi
- OZ time
- 53.3%
- 98th pct
- DZ time
- 31.9%
Age curve
NHL defensemen · production index
At 19, defensemen typically produce 90% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 20, when the typical level is 94%.
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
2 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | NYI | $975K | 0.9% |
| 2027-28 | NYI | $975K | 0.9% |
RFA after 2027-28. $1.95M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).