"But beginnings still matter, and not just because you get as many points for a win in the fall as you do in the spring. Every team right now is making a first impression, setting its own expectations for what's to come. And in his first few games with a New York Islanders squad on the threshold of a new era, 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer has given Isles-watchers a credible argument that things will get better from here on out."
"Part of that is because he's a defenseman who wasn't putting up eye-popping scoring stats, and part of it's because he hadn't actually played a lot of games in the season before getting drafted, breaking his collarbone at the 2025 World Juniors shortly after recovering from mono. But Schaefer has weathered a lot of adversity for a teenager, and there was no real doubt about who the Islanders would select when they won the draft lottery."
October NHL results are volatile, with unexpected slumps and hot streaks shaping early impressions and expectations because every win counts equally. Early-season form influences team momentum and fan perception. Matthew Schaefer, an eighteen-year-old defenseman with the New York Islanders, has impressed in his first appearances and offers a clear reason for optimism. Schaefer entered the draft after limited play due to mono and a 2025 World Juniors collarbone injury, but he has demonstrated the skating, defensive command, and puck-moving ability to defend, create transitions, and generate plays for teammates when healthy.
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