The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday. The 17-year-old defenseman becomes the first player from Erie of the Ontario Hockey League — and the first from the OHL — since Connor McDavid in 2015 to go No. 1 in the NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-2, 186 pound Schaefer, who was the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft all season, had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating in 17 games with the Otters this season. The Hamilton, Ontario native had surgery Dec. 30, three days after sustaining a broken clavicle while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Schaefer missed the last 46 games, including nine OHL playoff games, before being cleared for contact by doctors on May 1.
Schaefer was clearly emotional as he put on his Islanders sweater and noticed the cancer awareness ribbon, as well as “JS” on his jersey. Matthew lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer in February 2024, two months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, died in an apparent suicide.
Schaefer projects to be a complete top pairing performer. He’s an exceptional skater who can be a difference-maker off the rush and an effective 1-on-1 defender. Schaefer has many tools and uses them in a mature, smart playing style.
The Elite Prospects Draft Guide gave their scouting report on the defenseman:
Schaefer controls games from the back end, making the play flow through him. An elite puck-rusher, he takes off from behind his net, using it as a shield against the forecheck, and traverses the defensive zone with a few long strides. He spots teammates in every direction, making both one-touch plays and elaborate, deceptive feeds. Attacking down, he grabs the spotlight and draws opponents to him, before turning and relaying the puck across.
No Homecoming For Hagens
Fans at the Islanders draft party at UBS Arena watched in disappointment as Adam Sandler, in his Happy Gilmore jersey, took to the screen and announced that the Boston Bruins selected James Hagens with the 7th overall pick. Earlier in the day, The Islanders acquired the 16th and 17th overall picks from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Noah Dobson. The plan was to package those picks in a deal to acquire the Long Island native but a deal was not to be made.
Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche kept the picks and drafted two players who had no business still being on the board. With the 16th overall pick, the Islanders selected winger Victor Eklund from Sweden’s second pro league, HockeyAllsvenskan.
Eklund tallied 19 goals with 12 assists for 31 points in 41 games with Djurgardens. Eklund is an incredible skater who largely fell partly due to size (5’11” and 170 pounds) and the focus on centers in this draft. His brother, William, was the seventh overall pick to the San Jose Sharks in 2021.
Eklund will play in Sweden for the 2025-26 season.
The Islanders follow that pick with defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson from the Barrie Colts of the OHL at 17. Aitcheson scored 26 goals with 33 assists for 59 points in 64 games. Aitcheson might be the most tenacious, physical player of the draft. At 6’1” and 198 pounds, the left-shot defenseman takes every opportunity to hit and is a responsible “spot defender,” according to EliteProspects.
“I’m a two-way defenseman that will go against the other team’s top lines, be in their face, get under people’s skin and mix it up,” Aitcheson said.
The Islanders made three first-round selections for the first time since the 1999 draft where they made four selections. ((No. 5: Tim Connolly, No. 8: Taylor Pyatt, No. 10: Branislav Mezei & No. 28: Kristian Kudroc).
In the seven seasons that Lou Lamoriello was the Islanders general manager, he made four first round selections. In one draft, Darche made three.
