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
+$8.199M
vs. $9.174M market estimate
Contract details from our records; public announcement not yet matched
2026-27 regular season
GP
2
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
2
1 primary
Points
2
1.00 per game
TOI/GP
24:10
PP 4:46 · PK 0:23
Plus/minus
+2
Hits
0
Blocks 1
PIM
2
Game Score
+0.93
per game
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 vs NJD · W 6-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20:34 | 3:14 | 0:45 | — | 0 | 2 | 4 | +2 | +1.78 |
| Sep 30 @ TOR · L 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 27:45 | 6:18 | 0:00 | — | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.08 |
| Apr 14 vs CAR · L 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24:13 | 2:58 | 0:51 | — | 71 | 3 | 0 | -1 | -0.06 |
| Apr 12 vs MTL · L 4-1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 28:01 | 3:17 | 0:00 | — | 60 | 1 | 1 | -2 | -0.11 |
| Apr 11 vs OTT · L 3-0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 24:56 | 7:10 | 1:07 | — | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.34 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). 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.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | SCTA U15 | Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs U15 AAA | 31 | 17 | 34 | 51 | — | 14 |
| 2021-22 | SCTA U16 | Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs U16 AAA | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 2021-22 | WSI U15 | Draftday Selects U15 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | — | — |
| 2021-22 (playoffs) | SCTA U15 | Hamilton Steel U15 AAA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 2021-22 (playoffs) | SCTA U16 | Hamilton Steel U16 AAA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 2022-23 | SCTA U16 | Halton Hurricanes U16 AAA | 25 | 12 | 20 | 32 | — | 14 |
| 2022-23 | CWG | Team Ontario | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | 4 |
| 2022-23 | OHL Cup | Halton Hurricanes U16 AAA | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | +2 | 0 |
| 2022-23 (playoffs) | SCTA U16 | Halton Hurricanes U16 AAA | 5 | 6 | 8 | 14 | — | 0 |
| 2023-24 | OHL | Erie Otters | 56 | 3 | 14 | 17 | -2 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | WHC-17 | Canada White U17 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | 6 |
| 2023-24 | WJC-18 | Canada U18 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | +8 | 2 |
| 2023-24 (playoffs) | OHL | Erie Otters | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +4 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | OHL | Erie Otters | 17 | 7 | 15 | 22 | +21 | 8 |
| 2024-25 | Hlinka Gretzky Cup | Canada U18 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | — | 0 |
| 2024-25 | Prospects Challenge | Team CHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | WJC-20 | Canada U20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | NHL | New York Islanders | 82 | 23 | 36 | 59 | +13 | 38 |
| 2026-27 | NHL | New York Islanders | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 2 |
Every league he has played in, from the NHL's records, regular season and playoffs.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Islanders' Matthew Schaefer unanimous Calder Trophy winner
ABC7 Eyewitness News · Oct 4
- Anders Lee On Islanders’ New Leaders, New York Return & How Vincent Trocheck Helped Him Settle In Utah
theelmonters.com · Oct 4
- Schaefer ‘in good hands’ living with former Islanders forward Martin, family
NHL.com · Oct 4
- 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
New York Post · Oct 3
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 +0.52 per game over these 10.
Where his Game Score comes from
+0.84 per game
2025-26 · 82 GP
Season total +68.8, or +0.84 per game.
- Scoring
- +44.4
- Shooting
- +16.6
- 5-on-5 goals
- +1.9
- Defense
- -0.9
- Penalty kill
- -0.5
- Physical play
- +6.3
- Puck battles
- -2.6
- Penalties
- +3.4
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
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%
Usage
Last game: vs NJD, Oct 3
Pair 1 with Adam Pelech (11:46 together at 5-on-5) · PP1
From the NHL's shift chart.
Age curve
At 19: 90% of peak
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).