Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer on pace to break astounding NHL rookie record originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Matthew Schaefer keeps proving why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
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The New York Islanders‘ rookie scored again on Saturday, and he keeps climbing up the hockey record boards.
His goal Saturday was his ninth of the season.
That already ranks fourth all-time among 18-year old defenseman.
Schaefer has played 33 games, putting him on pace to score 22 goals.
If he reaches that mark, it’ll be an all-time record for an 18-year old defenseman.
Buffalo’s Phil Housley holds the current record at 19. Bobby Orr scored 13 at this age.
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Here’s the chart:
It can sometimes be tough to gauge the impact of a young defenseman.
That hasn’t been the case with Schaefer. The eye test matches the stat sheet.
He’s special, and he’s only going to keep getting better.
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