It didn’t take lengthy for Matthew Schaefer to make his mark on the NHL.
Schaefer has seven factors (2G, 5A) in eight contests and he grew to become the primary 18-year-old defenseman within the league’s historical past to begin his profession with a six-game level streak and simply the second rookie rearguard (Marek Zidlicky) to perform the feat.
An essential caveat is that Zidlicky was 26 and a longtime professional from his time in Europe when he did it. Schaefer, in the meantime, is three years away from with the ability to purchase his teammates a beer at a Lengthy Island hang-out.
Nevertheless it’s not simply the manufacturing that’s protruding for the previous Erie Otter. Schaefer has already established himself because the No. 1 defenseman on the Islanders.
And it’s not like Schaefer was waltzing right into a roster that was within the throes of a rebuild. The Isles boast an skilled blueline anchored by a trio of veterans — Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and Ryan Pulock — that has performed 1,679 mixed video games for the membership.
But, it’s Schaefer that leads the Islanders in common time on ice via eight video games. The No. 1 general choose is averaging 23:12 per recreation, almost two minutes greater than every other skater, and three-and-a-half greater than the following defenseman (Pulock). Schaefer has already supplanted Tony DeAngelo because the quarterback on the workforce’s first power-play unit.
All of this from a participant who was not a positive factor to even break camp with the Islanders a couple of weeks in the past.
Schaefer’s early affect has been one of many tales of the season, however it’s not simply followers and pundits which can be labored right into a tizzy in regards to the wunderkind blueliner, the betting market has taken discover, too.
The brand new face of the Islanders is now the betting favourite to win the Calder Trophy, leaping forward of Montreal’s Ivan Demidov, Minnesota’s Zeev Buium, and St. Louis’ Jimmy Snuggerud, all of whom have been forward of Schaefer on the oddsboard forward of Opening Night time.
Schaefer, who opened at 13/1 to win Rookie of the Yr, is now all the way down to +155 at BetMGM Sportsbook, placing him barely forward of Demidov (+200), and a tier above Buium (+800), Snuggerud (16/1), and Detroit’s Emmitt Finnie (16/1).
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Demidov at present paces the freshmen with 9 factors (2G, 7A), adopted by Finnie with eight (4G, 4A). Schaefer, Buium, and Demidov’s teammate, Oliver Kapanen, are all on seven factors.
However for those who dig somewhat deeper, it’s clear why Schaefer is getting extra love than his contemporaries. Not solely is he taking part in almost three minutes greater than any rookie on a per-game foundation, however he’s contributing in each space of the sport. Schaefer is the lynchpin on the Isles’ improved energy play, he’s taking part in on the penalty kill, and he’s usually on the ice in essentially the most pivotal moments of the sport.
Schaefer was on the ice within the final seconds of regulation within the Islanders’ shootout loss to the Flyers on Saturday afternoon.
It took Schaefer simply a few weeks to earn from his teaching employees and teammates.
That type of affect transcends the rookie race, which is why Schaefer has seen his odds to win the Norris Trophy, which is given to the league’s high defenseman, get slashed to 66/1 at BetMGM. That’s nonetheless a giant quantity, however it places him in the identical vary as Victor Hedman and Jake Sanderson, and forward of the likes of Shea Theodore, Jaccob Slavin, and Charlie McAvoy. All 5 of these gamers are prone to be taking part in for his or her nations within the 2026 Olympics.
Is Schaefer a superb guess in both market? Most likely not. However that’s not the purpose. What’s essential right here is that Lengthy Island’s teenage sensation isn’t just being seen as a formidable debutante. He’s already blowing previous among the most well-regarded defensemen within the circuit.
The place is the ceiling for this child?
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, however a long-profiting sports activities bettor with 10 years of expertise within the playing business. He loves utilizing recreation principle to assist punters win bracket swimming pools, discover lengthy pictures, and discover ways to beat the market in mainstream and area of interest sports activities.
