New York Islanders fans love to talk up superstar defenseman Matthew Schaefer, especially after his overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild capped a two-goal, one-assist night.
I mean, it’s hard not to. The kid is incredible.
Happy Free Friday.
Even when he makes a mistake, like when he failed to get the puck deep in the neutral zone, leading to Matt Boldy’s 3-3 tying goal, he doesn’t let it define his night.
Instead, he shakes it off and finds a way to make the difference, as he did Thursday night:
“That last goal, we’re trying to keep a lead,” Schaefer said postgame. “I tried to glass it. So they made a nice play, stopped it, and then came down and tied the game. We wanted it really bad. I know I wanted it really bad for Sorokin and our team, obviously, because they got that goal late. Obviously my fault there. I mean honestly, we learn from it. I was happy to get that one there. Pager made a nice play up, and Homer was going backside. So I just took whatever’s given. You get a big win against a big team and keep it rolling. And keep it rolling from Nashville on. I think we just gotta keep rolling, learn from this road trip and keep going.”
When head coach Pete DeBoer was asked about Schaefer postgame, he couldn’t help but chuckle before talking about his 19-year-old phenom.
“Yeah, I know he was upset about the third goal; you could tell that he wanted to get it back for us even before overtime started. That competitiveness and edge he has to be a difference maker is really rare.”
With his three-point night, Schaefer enters Halloween with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 13 games, riding a six-game point streak.
Oh, and here are the records he tied or broke in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota:
But Islanders coaches, teammates, fans, and reporters aren’t the only ones talking about No. 48.
The opposing Wild had plenty to say about Schaefer after getting a firsthand look at just how special he is, courtesy of The Hockey News’ Dylan Loucks.
And perhaps nobody offered higher praise than one of the NHL’s best defensemen, Quinn Hughes, who believes Schaefer has the potential to become one of the league’s very best players.
“He’s really impressive,” Hughes said. “I mean, when I was 19, I was a sophomore at Michigan. And when Cale [Makar] was 19, he was a freshman and did one more year, or two more, I forget. But same with Fox, he did three years. Werenski, too. Like, all those guys I just mentioned were in college at this kid’s age. So he’s obviously really good.”
But Hughes wasn’t finished.
“Yeah, really like his game. But I think for him, being 19, this is all gravy right now. Like, when he’s 22, 23, 24, 25, all the way up, I mean, those are the years where he can really — he should be a top-three, top-five player in the league. So he’s just got to keep climbing. But it’s obviously impressive with where he’s at at 19.”
That’s some incredible praise coming from one of the league’s premier defensemen.
And I think it’s important to take a second to appreciate what Hughes is saying here.
We’re already watching one of the most talented young defensemen of this generation, and yet, as Hughes pointed out, Schaefer is still years away from his prime.
As remarkable as he is right now, it’s difficult to imagine just how good he could become.
Minnesota forward Matt Boldy, who scored the late equalizer that briefly gave the Wild new life, also came away impressed with Schaefer’s performance.
“Yeah, he’s a heck of a player for sure. He showed it tonight. I don’t think we did a good enough job of slowing him down, making his life a little bit harder. But credit to him he plays the game like he’s been playing for 10, 15 years. It’s pretty fun to watch. Future is obviously pretty bright. They’re pretty lucky to have him over there.”
It’s one thing for Schaefer to dominate offensively. It’s another for opponents to recognize just how difficult he is to play against.
Wild head coach John Hynes pointed to Schaefer’s skating as the key to his offense.
“He’s good. He’s hard to play against. He’s a great skater. You saw what he can do with the puck, and he drives offense, and he was good tonight,” Hynes said. “Yeah, he has the ability; he’s got good size, but I think the thing that helps him is that his skating is elite. He’s able to hold onto the puck and do some things at the offensive blue line, and some of the things that you see with the premier offensive defensemen in the league, he has that skill set.”
When you can skate like Schaefer, the sky truly is the limit.
One area I wanted to see Schaefer improve upon entering this season was his ability to walk the blue line, both at 5-on-5 and, more specifically, on the power play.
And he’s taken tremendous strides in that regard after putting in the work this summer.
He’s continuing to learn NHL spacing, when to move, when to hold onto the puck, and how to create openings for himself and his teammates.
But what makes him so dangerous is that his skating lets him do things most defensemen simply can’t.
His ability to turn on a dime makes it incredibly difficult for opposing players to stay with him. He can create separation in an instant, beat opponents to loose pucks, and recover defensively even when it looks like he’s been caught out of position.
And as he continues to learn how to manipulate NHL defenders with his skating, rather than relying solely on his natural ability to beat them, there’s another level to his offensive game that we may not have even seen yet.
Then Wild forward Nico Sturm was asked whether he sees similarities between Schaefer and Hughes.
“I think that’s pretty fair to say,” Sturm said. “I just admire the guys coming into the league at 18, 19, and the confidence that they have and just looking like they’ve been in the league for eight years. I don’t know what these guys do growing up, to be honest with you. It’s kind of insane. They just all get good hands, good skating, elite shot. I think I missed that part growing up.”
Every fan base overhypes its own players. That’s just sports.
But Schaefer is different.
I find it hard to believe there’s a fan base out there, even the New York Rangers’, that can watch Schaefer play and not come away thinking he’s one of the most talented and exciting young players in the NHL.
When opposing players and coaches say the same things Islanders fans have been saying, that should tell you something.
Islanders fans, this is your reality.
No matter how frustrating a game gets, no matter how difficult a season becomes, you get to turn on your television or walk into UBS Arena and watch Matthew Schaefer play hockey.
And there’s something pretty special about that.
Maybe that’s not enough for some, and that’s fair. Winning matters, and this fan base has waited a long time to see its team lift the Stanley Cup.
But there’s also something to be said for appreciating what you’re witnessing in the moment.
Here’s a kid, and yes, he’s still a kid, who jumps over the boards seemingly every other shift with the biggest smile on his face, doing things on the ice that most players can only dream of.
He does it with such grace, humility, and pure joy for the game. And the way he carries himself off the ice makes him even easier to appreciate.
Careers don’t last forever, and sometimes we get so caught up in what’s next that we forget to appreciate what’s right in front of us.
Fortunately for Islanders fans, and for those of us lucky enough to cover him, Matthew Schaefer’s career is only just getting started.
As far as depth in Hamilton on D, George unfortunately is recovering from a concussion. He has not had the best luck, but he is 💯 a viable NHL defender. With Islanders carrying eight D-men this year no call ups are absolutely necessary. As far as forwards Liam Foudy might deserve another look up with the big club. His speed can only help. It’s a credit to Pete and the team to establish that Next Man Up Mentality!
.....OUTSTANDING entry, Stef!!!!