![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-03-02T024344Z_183977488_MT1USATODAY28378456_RTRMADP_3_NHL-FLORIDA-PANTHERS-AT-NEW-YORK-ISLANDER.jpeg\" "\\"Islanders'")
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Mar 1, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates with the crowd after the victory over the Florida Panthers during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
EAST MEADOW, NY \u2014\u00a0The Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL\u2019s top rookie, is already all but Matthew Schaefer\u2019s.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
The defenseman put together one of the greatest seasons ever by an 18-year-old, tying a league record for most goals by a rookie blueliner with 23, originally set by Brian Leetch in 1988-89. He has drawn the plaudits of nearly everyone around the NHL, with comparisons ranging from Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar to the legendary Paul Coffey<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n If it were up to him, he\u2019d be focusing on an Islanders playoff run rather than the awards that will be given out on June 12. But New York\u2019s collapse down the stretch, going 4-10-0 in its final 14 games, has forced the offseason to come much earlier than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, the impending honor is a great one.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so far down the road, and right now, I wish we could be in the playoffs and still be playing because when you\u2019re a hockey player, and you love playing with these guys and going to war, you don\u2019t want to stop, and it feels just too early to stop playing hockey,\u201d Schaefer said. \u201cIt\u2019d be a dream come true, obviously, just the names that have won that award, and there are so many talented players in this rookie draft class here. Obviously, it\u2019d be a dream come true, but it\u2019s a tight race, and there\u2019s a lot of great players, so we\u2019ll see when the time comes. I don\u2019t want to look ahead or anything and just wait to see when that time comes. But if it happens, it\u2019d be a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n It was clear from the season\u2019s opening puck drop that the 2025 No. 1 overall pick was not just a natural at the NHL level, but a generational talent in the making. While the goals show just how high his offensive ceiling is, his defensive game is already sound, and his puck possession \u2014 specifically on the opponent\u2019s blue line \u2014 is elite.\u00a0<\/p>\n His success from the jump even surprised himself, in a way.\n<\/p>\n \u201c100% [I exceeded my expectations],\u201d Schaefer said. \u201cI mean, honestly, at the start of the season, I didn\u2019t know if I was going to be up or down. And for me, I wanted to learn so\u00a0much from everyone and keep\u00a0bettering my ability in each and every way, and just get better each day. And I think from the coaches to the players, they\u2019ve helped me so much with that. But coming in, I didn\u2019t think I was gonna start off like that, or anything like that, but my teammates helped me so much. And I always say my teammates, but they mean a lot to me. It\u2019s crazy to think that I\u2019m playing in the NHL, and you don\u2019t get enough time to think about it, because you\u2019re just so dialed in, you\u2019re so locked in. You\u2019re playing games almost every other day. So, yeah, it\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n