The Elmonters

The Elmonters

Schaefer Stock Soaring After First Taste Of NHL Play

No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer showed off his skating, IQ, and poise in his Islanders preseason debut, logging big minutes, an assist, and earning praise from Patrick Roy.

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Sep 22, 2025
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ELMONT, NY — Talk about making a good first impression.

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer soared in his NHL preseason debut. Yes, he took two penalties — a borderline holding call and a delay-of-game penalty — but the positives far outweighed the negatives.

You could clearly see why his name was called first in LA a few months ago. Everyone raves about his skating ability, which is elite, but his IQ is even more impressive.

Both were on display in the Islanders’ 11-round 3-2 exhibition shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

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